10 Greatest Coaches in NHL History: Hockey Legends

The hockey team is a single entity, which is driven by one goal, to win the game. Each team consists of players who perform their duties. But the head coach is responsible for how they do it. Sometimes, this position affects the success of the team more than the players themselves.

Repeatedly there were cases when the arrival of a new coach was accompanied by the resurrection of the team. More than once, we have seen a team without stars win titles. Therefore, the coach plays a huge role in the team and its achievements. Now let’s take a look at the top of the 10 greatest coaches in NHL history.

Greatest Head Coach in NHL: Joel Quenneville

The choice of the strongest was not difficult: Quenneville is the only coach to win three Stanley Cups this century. It’s funny that he earned his only Jack Adams prize back in 2000. A full decade before the first champion title. While working for the Blackhawks, he raised and led through a full cycle the championship dynasty that won three times in six years.

With 962 career regular season wins, Quenneville also leads the current coaches and is second behind Scotty Bowman (1244). 768 of these victories have been won by him in this century. Of the 17 championships that Coach Q has completed in this century. His teams have not made the playoffs only twice. Known for his level-headed and positive personality, Quenneville is extremely popular with players.

10 Greatest Coaches in NHL History: Barry Trotz

If Trotz has not yet caught up with Quenneville in matches and victories in his career, then in terms of indicators in the 21st century he has no equal. The uniqueness of this 59-year-old specialist is that in the 22 seasons he worked in the NHL as a head coach. Trotz’s 15 full seasons and 1,196 games since his start at Nashville still hold the league record for the longest tenure as a head coach at a single club.

He won his only Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018. But for the past seven seasons, he has not only led his teams to the playoffs but has never retired from the race in the first round. Moreover, all four of his visits to the Canadian national teams brought success. The gold in the World Championships in 2002 and 2003, the silver in 2009, and the victory at the World Cup in 2016.

Veteran Coaches in NHL: Jon Cooper

Two consecutive Stanley Cups, three finals, and five semi-finals. These are the interim results of Cooper’s eight years of work with the Lightning, his only NHL club. Someone will say that he was very lucky with the performers. And this is true because at the same time having Andrey Vasilevsky, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, and Steven Stamkos at the same time in their team is a great success that few people get.

But to unite all these stars with a single idea, to build with their help one of the strongest teams in history, which no one can cope with in the playoffs for eight rounds, not everyone could also. Among coaches who have played at least 400 games in the NHL. Cooper has the second percentage of points scored in history (64.7%) behind Scotty Bowman (65.7%).

10 Greatest Coaches in NHL History: Mike Babcock

A four-and-a-half-season stint with Toronto, during which the talented Maple Leafs never made it past the first round, slightly overshadowed Babcock’s brilliant resume, dropping him to fifth place in the rankings. After all, before that, he had already pulled Anaheim to the finals in his debut season in 2002-03. And then he never missed the playoffs with Detroit for 10 years in a row, setting the Red Wings club record for coaching victories. 

With them, he won his only Stanley Cup in 2008 and then lost a dramatic final to Pittsburgh in 2009. But even such a track record in the NHL pales a little against the background of his achievements in the international arena. Two Olympic golds with the Canadian team in Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014), World Championship gold (2004). Gold in the 1997 World Youth Championship, as well as the victory in the World Cup (2016). At the moment, Babcock remains the only coach in history – a member of the “Triple Golden Club” (winning the Stanley Cup, the Olympics, and the World Cup).

2-Time Stanley Cup Champion: Mike Sullivan

After an inexpressive two-year stint with Boston just before and immediately after the 2004-05 lockout, Sullivan had to wait nine years for his next chance. During this time, he gained a wealth of experience as an assistant in four other clubs and the Canadian national team. So, by the time he was appointed to Pittsburgh in December 2015, he was ready for everything.

The result was two consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 and six consecutive playoff hits. The Massachusetts native remains the only American coach to win the Cup more than once. In this ranking, Sullivan could have risen a couple of lines higher if the Penguins had not fled the race in the starting rounds in the last three seasons.

10 Greatest Coaches in NHL History: John Tortorella

In addition to winning the Stanley Cup with Tampa back in 2004, Tortorella has made a name for himself with his ability to produce respectable results even with extremely limited talent resources. One of the clearest examples of this was his 2018-19 Columbus. It managed the first-round shutout against the Lightning, who had previously won a record 62 regular-season games.

The quick-tempered and unrestrained character of Tortorella more than once brought him to scandals and conflicts with colleagues and journalists. But in terms of the ability to squeeze a lot out of little, only Trotz can compare with him.

NHL Legends: Darryl Sutter 

63-year-old Sutter made his debut as head coach of the Blackhawks back in 1992 at the age of 34. Last season, after a four-year break, the veteran unexpectedly led Calgary for the second time. He reached the Stanley Cup final back in 2004 with them. But Sutter said his main word in hockey was in Los Angeles.

There he managed to win two Stanley Cups in three years in 2012 and 2014. Online sportsbook sites in the US like Everygame Sportsbook are the safest place to bet on the NHL games in October.

10 Greatest Coaches in NHL History: Claude Julien 

The French-Canadian’s finest hour came at the beginning and middle of the last decade. He led the Bruins to the playoffs for seven years in a row. And in 2011 he won the Stanley Cup with them, their first in 39 years. In the final with “Boston” Julien was in 2013, but lost in six matches, “Chicago” Joel Quenneville. At the time of his dismissal from the club in 2017 after more than nine seasons, Julien was the longest-serving player in the league.

Canadian Coaches in NHL: Lindy Ruff 

With 1,549 career games and 755 wins, the 61-year-old Ruff ranks seventh in NHL history on both counts. He is the only non-Stanley Cup coach on our list, but in his 15 years of continuous service with Buffalo, he has led the Blades to the playoffs eight times, reached the semifinals three times, and reached the finals once.

With no other coach after Ruff, this club did not participate in the playoffs. Make sure to bet on the upcoming NHL games in October by visiting the online sportsbook sites in the US. All the NHL games will be available in Everygame Sportsbook. 

10 Greatest Coaches in NHL History: Ron Wilson

Ron Wilson made his NHL debut with the newly formed Anaheim team, which had just joined the league. It’s no surprise that Anaheim didn’t make the playoffs in its early seasons. Such results did not suit the club management in any way and Ron was fired. True, he did not remain without work for very long.

At that time, the hockey players of the capital’s Washington club needed a coach. Naturally, without thinking twice, Wilson accepted the offer of the Capitals and headed the club. In his first season, he led Washington to the playoffs. 

However, he achieved his greatest success with San Jose. It was Wilson who, according to many hockey experts, made the Sharks a strong playoff-level team. The team under his leadership, although it got into the Stanley Cup from year to year, did not achieve any special results there. As a result, Ron left his post and joined Pittsburgh, his last place of work as a head coach.

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