Cooper, Muse, Ruff named Jack Adams Award finalists

In his second season in his second stint with the Buffalo Sabres, Ruff led one of the more remarkable turnarounds in NHL history. The Sabres were 11-13-4 and last in the Eastern Conference on Dec. 5 before ending the season on a 39-10-5 run to win the Atlantic Division with a 50-23-9 record, their first division title since 2009-10 and break their NHL-record 14-season playoff drought. The Sabres had a 30-point improvement from last season, when they finished 26th in the NHL standings.

Buffalo was fifth with 3.45 goals-per game and tied for 10th allowing 2.93 per game after finishing 20th in the NHL last season, allowing 3.50 per game.

Ruff, 66, is a finalist for the fifth time, tying an NHL record with Tortorella, Scotty Bowman, and Alain Vigneault. Ruff won the award with the Sabres in 2005-06 and has finished runner-up twice and third once. 

“That just means that our coaching staff did one (heck) of a job,” Ruff said. “This isn’t a one-man job and the hours these guys have put in and where we got to, a complete team effort.”

Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals won the Adams Award last season.