Bruce Boudreau Wins Jack Adams Award

ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau was presented the Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL’s coach who has contributed the most to his team’s success, this evening at the NHL Awards Show in Toronto. Detroit’s Mike Babcock and Montreal’s Guy Carbonneau were also finalists for the awards, which was voted on by members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association. 
 
Boudreau is the second Capital head coach to win the award (Bryan Murray, 1983-84) and is the first midseason hire to win since Philadelphia’s Bill Barber in 2001. Boudreau received 31 of 74 first-place votes and 208 points to edge Guy Carbonneau of the Montreal Canadiens, who had 24 first-place votes and 196 points. With Alex Ovechkin capturing the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player, the Capitals are just the seventh team since the inception of the Jack Adams Award (1973-74) to have the player and coach of the year in the same season.
 
Boudreau became the 14th head coach in Washington history when he was named to the position on an interim basis on Nov. 22, 2007. The interim tag was removed on Dec. 26.
 
The Capitals were in 30th place when he accepted the job, but Boudreau quickly turned things around starting with a stirring overtime victory in Philadelphia on Nov. 23. In his 61 games behind the bench the Capitals posted a 37-17-7 record and ended the regular season on a seven-game winning streak to win the Southeast Division. It marked the 10th consecutive season that Boudreau has led his team to the playoffs.
 
Washington became the first team in NHL history to come back from 14th or 15th place at midseason and make the playoffs and became only the second team in NHL history to finish a season in first place in its division immediately after three or more consecutive last-place finishes.
 
Boudreau, who had the Capitals on a 109-point pace had he coached the entire season, was the fastest coach in team history to reach 20 wins (34 games) and 30 wins (53 games). Washington earned 81 points after Boudreau was hired, which was only three points behind Detroit and Pittsburgh, which led the league with 84 points during the same timeframe.
 
Boudreau rallied the Caps to 17 comeback victories and posted a 20-6-7 record in games decided by one goal. Washington ended the regular season with a club record 11 wins in overtime or shootout.
 
Boudreau’s Career Head Coaching Record
 
                                                        Regular Season                                                                           Playoffs
Season           Team                     League      GP  W    L     T         OT          Pts      Pct              GP          W            L             Pct
1992-93         Muskegon             CHL           60   28   27   5          -               61       .508                            7              3              4              .429
1993-94         Fort Wayne           IHL            81   41   29   -           11           93       .574                            18           10           8              .556
1994-95         Fort Wayne           IHL            39   15   21   -           3              33       .423                            -               -               -               -
1996-97         Mississippi             ECHL                70   34   26       10           -           78   .557                    3              0              3              .000
1997-98         Mississippi             ECHL                70   34   27       9              -           77   .550                    -               -               -               -
1998-99         Mississippi             ECHL                70   41   22       7              -           89   .636                    18           14           4              .778
1999-00         Lowell                    AHL           80   33   36   7          4              77       .481                            7              3              4              .429
2000-01         Lowell                    AHL           80   35   35   5          5              80       .500                            4              1              3              .250
2001-02         Manchester           AHL           80   38   28   11       3              90       .563                            5              2              3              .400
2002-03         Manchester           AHL           80   40   23   11       6              97       .606                            3              0              3              .000
2003-04         Manchester           AHL           80   40   28   7          5              92       .575                            6              2              4              .333
2004-05         Manchester           AHL           80   51   21   -           8              110     .688                            6              2              4              .333
2005-06         Hershey                 AHL           80   44   21   -           15           103     .644                            21           16           5              .762
2006-07         Hershey                 AHL           80   51   17   -           12           114     .713                            19           13           6              .684
2007-08         Hershey                 AHL           15   8      7      -           0              16       .533                            -               -               -               -
                        CAPITALS          NHL           61   37   17   -           7              81       .664                            7              3              4              .429
 
IHL Coach of the Year (1994) * Jack Adams Award (2008)