It was a magical 2025-26 season for new head coach Dan Muse and the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the team made the playoffs against all odds and were, legitimately, one of the league's best offenses.
As such, Muse was rewarded when he was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year.
And, unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be this time around.
On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was named the winner of the 2026 Jack Adams award, earning 226 points. Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff (223 points) was the runner-up, while Muse was third behind the other two with 199 points.
According to NHL PR, the race between the three candidates was the closest it has been since 1983-84, when the balloting results were first published for folks to see.
Muse, 43, was a first-year NHL head coach for the Penguins, and he quickly became popular with his players, who lauded his communication skills and tireless work ethic all year long. He led the team to a 41-25-16 record (98 points), and Pittsburgh reached the postseason for the first time in four years.
The Penguins' 98 points tied a franchise record for the most points earned by the team during a coach's first season behind the bench.
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