Senators head coach Travis Green may not have been one of the three finalists for the 2026 Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year, but the voters certainly didn’t ignore him.
Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning finally got his due on Wednesday, when the league announced he had won the trophy for the first time. Meanwhile, Green finished up sixth in the voting, even ahead of Rod Brind’Amour, whose team made quick work of the Senators in round one and sits four wins away from a Stanley Cup.
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The voting is based exclusively on the regular season, and voters were impressed by Green’s steady hand at the wheel, guiding his team to the playoffs through some very rough waters this season.
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The Senators had a difficult first half, marred by shaky goaltending, off-ice drama and one injury after another down the stretch, especially on their blue line. But Green was impressive, keeping the Senators focused on the things they can control, and the messaging was consistent.
The Sens finished the season on a furious 21-6-3 run to grab the final playoff spot in the East. Green ended up with four first-place votes, five second-place votes, and eight third-place votes.
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Dan Muse of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres were the other men who were up for the award, presented to the head coach “adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.” Along with Cooper, who won by just three points, the three finalists finished way ahead of everyone else.
Only two Senators’ head coaches have ever won the award. Paul MacLean in 2012–13, and Jacques Martin in 1998-99. Green won’t join them this year, but still deserves a ton of credit for keeping Ottawa‘s weird season on the rails.
But after two first-round exits and a 2-8 playoff record, next season’s playoffs won’t have any sort of ‘just happy to be here’ vibe. Entering year three this fall, Green knows full well that both the bar and the pressure will be raised.
Meanwhile, Cooper was surprised with the award during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the “Coop’s Catch for Kids” Family Lounge at Muma Children’s Hospital in Tampa. “Coop’s Catch for Kids” is the name of his foundation that helps raise funds for pediatric cancer research.
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He thought he was there exclusively for the ribbon-cutting until they wheeled in the trophy right at the end of the ceremony.
“OK, you got me,” Cooper said in the video of the ceremony posted on NHL.com.
“I don’t have any words. I never thought this would be a reality.”
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For more THN Ottawa articles, click one of the latest stories below:
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