Snubbed when the finalists for the NHL's Jack Adams Award were announced in April and awarded in June, Flyers head coach John Stevens was awarded top coaching honors from The Hockey News yesterday. Not sure why THN waits a month and a half further into the dead of summer to make its announcement, but there's never a bad time for good hockey news.
Although there were questions as to whether Stevens would be able to get his team into the post-season—and even keep his job, they finished strong and went from the league's worst record to a mark of 42-29-11 and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first full season as head man.
Ed Moran points out that Stevens was quick to spread the credit around, and rightfully so:
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"To me, this is more of an organizational award than a coaching award,"
Stevens said. "I think that it's a reflection of all the good things
done from [general manager Paul Holmgren] down to the players. The
honor was given to me, but in my mind it should be given to the entire
organization for all the work that everyone has done."
We agree that Homer was the mastermind, but it takes some great work behind the bench to make a team with that many new faces gel.
(Stevens Mii courtesy of flickr user Alipyon)