I think everyone and their mother and their mother’s mother knew the Jack Adams trophy for coach of the year was going to go to Phoenix’s Dave Tippett. After all, he came in at the last minute for a team that wasn’t sure if they’re were going to stick together or not and if they’d even stay in Phoenix. All Tippett did was get the Coyotes to the playoffs and the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
That said, the only controversy that really existed with the vote was that Tippett didn’t win it unanimously. So who stole first place votes from Dave Tippett? Coyotes fans aren’t going to like it very much.
Pts. (1st-2nd-3rd)
1. Dave Tippett, PHX 291 (57-2-0)
2. Barry Trotz, NSH 60 (0-17-9)
3. Joe Sacco, COL 51 (0-14-9)
4. Mike Babcock, DET 38 (2-7-7)
5. Terry Murray, L.A. 26 (0-5-11)
6. Cory Clouston, OTT 21 (0-6-3)
7. Lindy Ruff, BUF 13 (0-2-7)
8. Joel Quenneville, CHI 10 (0-2-4)
9. Alain Vigneault, VAN 7 (0-2-1)
10. Bruce Boudreau, WSH 7 (0-1-4)
11. Jacques Lemaire, N.J. 4 (0-1-1)
12. Dan Bylsma, PIT 1 (0-0-1)
Claude Julien, BOS 1 (0-0-1)
Paul Maurice, CAR 1 (0-0-1)
In the meantime, let’s just give credit where credit is due here. Dave Tippett did a killer job with the Coyotes and proved to be the person they needed all along there to help do something good for a franchise that most desperately needed it.