We here at Bolts by the Bay aren't afraid to admit when we are wrong, and, well, we were wrong! A little over a month ago, we opined that Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper would not be winning the Jack Adams Award. Our reasoning was pretty striaghtforward.
Cooper had led the Lightning to more impressive regular-season finishes than he did in 2025-26, and it truly felt like it was Lindy Ruff's award to lose. He guided the Buffalo Sabres to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, winning 50 games en route to a division title.
The Jack Adamas Award, at least throughout the cap era, has generally gone to the head coach of a team that overachieves significantly. It's almost become a feel-good story-of-the-year trophy. Almost.
Jon Cooper wins his first Jack Adams, which is basically his lifetime achievement award
In our post in early May, we reasoned that Cooper was simply the victim of his own consistency. Ho-hum, the Tampa Bay Lightning were good again. *yawn* His best chance to win it seemed to be in his first season behind the bench, but he lost out as a rookie coach who turned his team around quicker than most expected.
Since then, Tampa Bay has been in the playoffs every season besides 2017--the Lightning have made the postseason nine straight times since that narrow miss. Cooper has won the Stanley Cup twice, secured two division banners, and has the second-best winning percentage among active NHL coaches.
Through all those excellent campaigns, Cooper was never named the best coach in the league. There was always a better story, or a different team that came out of nowhere. The NHL Broadcasters' Association finally righted this wrong by giving Jon Cooper what amounts to a lifetime achievement award.
Why did Jon Cooper win the Jack Adams Award in 2026?
Sabres fans would be right to argue in favor of Ruff, and Pittsburgh Penguins fans could certainly make valid points about why Dan Muse should have taken home the Jack Adams. What did Cooper navigate that was more difficult than what the other two finalists had to deal with?
It likely boils down to the Lightning navigating long-term absences from several key star players. Victor Hedman appeared in just 33 games. Ryan McDonagh saw action only 48 times, while Brayden Point was held to 63 appearances. Despite those missing key cogs, the Lightning rolled to a 50-win, 106-point season.
That was enough for Cooper to finally secure a Jack Adams, and it rectifies a handful of the most noteworthy NHL award snubs in recent memory.
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