After a year of unexpected success for the Nashville Predators, the NHL announced Wednesday that coach Andrew Brunette finished as runnerup for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the league’s top coach.
Vancouver Canucks’ coach Rick Tocchet won the award, finishing with 483 votes. Brunette came in second with 145 votes, ahead of Winnipeg’s Rick Bowness, who had 75 votes.
Brunette, 50, is the third Predators coach to become a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, joining Peter Laviolette (2015) and Barry Trotz (2010, 2011). Brunette was also runner up for the award in 2022 while coaching the Florida Panthers. That year he finished behind Calgary’s Darryl Sutter.
On May 3, when Brunette learned about becoming a finalist for the award, he alluded to the last time he was nominated for the award.
“Last time it didn’t go quite so well,” Brunette joked. “I think I lost my job a little while later — I don’t know how to take it anymore.”
Prior to his arrival in Nashville, Brunette coached the Panthers to a 51-18-6 record in 2022, leading them to their first Presidents’ Trophy. After the season, the Panthers opted to hire Paul Maurice for their open coaching position instead of promoting Brunette.
Brunette left Florida, then spent one season as assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils before being hired by the Predators in May 2023.
This season, Brunette led the Predators to a 47-30-5 record and a first-round playoff appearance against the Vancouver Canucks.
As a forward, Brunette played in 1,110 NHL games over 16 seasons (1995 – 2012), including 77 games with the Predators in their inaugural season in 1998. He scored the first goal in franchise history on Oct. 13, 1998.
