At least a few voters felt Tocchet should have won.
He may not have won, but Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet was at least legitimately in the conversation for the 2026 Jack Adams Award.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was the winner of the 2026 Jack Adams Award, winning the award for, surprisingly, the first time in his decorated career.
Cooper also coached Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where Tocchet was one of the assistant coaches on the staff.
As for Tocchet himself, the 62-year-old former Jack Adams Award winner was not particularly close to unseating Cooper atop this season's final ballot, but he was at least for his work in bringing the Flyers back to the playoffs for the first time in six years.
According to the final ballot, Cooper led the way with 226 points and 36 first-place votes, while Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff was very close behind with 223 points and 26 first-place votes.
Tocchet, however, was one of nine coaches to receive at least one first-place vote, earning three and placing seventh overall with 27 points.
Cooper, Ruff, Dan Muse, Jared Bednar, Martin St. Louis, and Travis Green were the only coaches ahead of the Flyers bench boss.
Notably, Tocchet placed ahead of Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour, who swept the Flyers out of the playoffs in Round 2.
Maybe this is a classic case of voter fatigue, but Brind'Amour received just three first-place votes, one second-place vote, and two third-place votes, all of which were equal to or less than what Tocchet got and placing him ninth overall on the ballot.
In any event, the Flyers organization was well represented between their two former players on the Jack Adams ballot this year, even if Brind'Amour was snubbed pretty badly in the end.