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Berube, Cooper, Trotz are 2019 Jack Adams Award finalists

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The NHL announced on Friday the three finalists for the 2019 Jack Adams Awards, which is awarded to the head coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success.”

Craig Berube of the St. Louis Blues, Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Barry Trotz of the New York Islanders are the finalists after members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association submitted their votes at the end of the regular season.

The award was presented by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association in 1974 in honor of the late Jack Adams, longtime coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

The winner will be announced on June 19 (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN) at the 2019 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.
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The Case For Craig Berube: Berube took over as Blues’ head coach on Nov. 19 with the team 30th in the NHL. By the end of the regular season St. Louis finished third in the Central Division and earned 65 out of a possible 90 points in their final 45 games, the most points accumulated by any team over that span. The Blues’ success was highlighted by a franchise-record 11-game win streak and a 12-1-1 record in February, which tied a team-record for wins in a single month. A win would make Berube the fifth coach in franchise history to win the award and the first NHL coach to earn the Adams after taking over midseason.

The Case For Jon Cooper: The Lightning finished the 2018-19 season with 62 wins, tied for the most in NHL history, and 128 points, which is good for fourth all-time. Cooper’s team were the first in league history with at least 30 wins at home and 30 on the road. Their 325 goals were the most by a team in 23 years. This is Cooper’s second time as an Adams finalist and a victory would make him the second winner in franchise history joining John Tortorella (2004).

The Case For Barry Trotz: In his first season with the team,Trotz helped the Islanders to a 23-point improvement from last season and a defensive turnaround that saw them allow 100 fewer goals, which earned goaltenders Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner the William Jennings Trophy. This is Trotz’s fourth time as an Adams finalist. He won the award in 2016 while with the Washington Capitals. Al Arbour (1979) is the only Islanders’ winner in franchise history.

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MORE 2019 NHL AWARD FINALISTS:
Selke Trophy
Lady Bing Trophy
Masteron Trophy
Norris Trophy
Ted Lindsay Award

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.