The Colorado Avalanche finished the 2025-26 season as the NHL’s best team record-wise. They won the Presidents’ trophy, though they failed to get past the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Western Conference Final.
However, the Jack Adams award is given to the best head coach of the regular season. Sure, I guess I can accept the fact that Bednar was overlooked.
Bednar was fourth in voting for the Jack Adams this time around. Yep, the head coach who helped lead his team to the best record in the league, and for virtually all throughout the season, wasn’t even close to bringing home the trophy.
Instead, Jon Cooper, whose Tampa Bay Lightning team finished second in the Atlantic Division, was given the award.
Final voting totals for the 2025-26 Jack Adams Award (close vote!!): pic.twitter.com/8aOGpWIzsV
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 3, 2026
I guess a silver lining would be that he ended up as the fourth-most voted for coach for the award. Even still, it’s just crazy how you have the best record in the league and don’t even sniff a top-three finish.
Cooper and Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff came away with by far the most votes/points, with the coaches ranked fourth through fourteenth weren’t even close to those top ranks.
While a lot of credit has to go to now-former Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland for his acquisitions of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood, Bednar is the guy behind the bench that helps the acquired players and star players get game-ready. Bednar did a great job with his new goaltenders, as they won the William M Jennings award for allowing the fewest goals during the 2025-26 season.
In November and December-early January, the Avalanche went on 10-game win streaks. They were the league’s best team early on, and even finished off hot. That credit should go to Bednar.
Even when times were tough (which was not often this season), Bednar’s head was held high during postgame press conferences after games in which his team lost. His determination in his team was always at a high level, though he always wanted to challenge his players to go to another level.
Another huge reason Bednar should have at least been a top-3 finalist for the Jack Adams is because his team beat every other team in the league at least one time throughout the 2025-26 82-game season. The Avalanche were the only team to accomplish this.
So, to me, the fact he wasn’t higher in the voting is just puzzling to me. Voters need to do a lot better than this.
End rant.
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