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If we’re going to talk about new NHL coaches doing good things this season, we probably shouldn’t look past our newest candidate.
Brad Shaw is a perfect 3-0-0 with the Philadelphia Flyers since taking over for John Tortorella last Thursday, so it doesn’t get any better than that.
But sample size is important. The candidates for this list of the NHL’s most effective first-year coaches all have at least 50 games with their new teams this year.
Craig Berube hit that mark, but he missed the cut because he’ll be measured by his playoff results with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With all that in mind, here are the five NHL bench bosses who have had the most impressive impacts on their new teams this season.
Travis Green, Ottawa Senators
Hired: May 7, 2024 – Record 39-28-6 – .575 points percentage
The Ottawa Senators have become a shining example of how strong ownership can lead to team success. It took Michael Andlauer a minute to get all his ducks in a row, but the organization is now headed in a positive direction after committing to Steve Staios as GM and to Travis Green as coach.
The Sens have deployed a dangerous power play, received decent goaltending and pumped up their offense since the trade deadline, going 8-3-1 and all-but-locking-in their first playoff berth since 2017.
The team has also brought out the best in Green: Ottawa’s .575 points percentage this season is a career high, better than his parts of five seasons coaching the Vancouver Canucks and 21 games as interim coach of the New Jersey Devils last season.
Scott Arniel, Winnipeg Jets
Hired: May 24, 2024 – Record 51-19-4 – .716 points percentage
When Rick Bowness retired last spring after guiding the Jets to their second-best season in franchise history, Scott Arniel’s main task was to avoid letting the team slide backward after being elevated from an associate role.
Instead, he took them to new heights, starting the season with an eight-game winning streak and maintaining the pace to sit in pole position for their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is a luxury to build from, but he’s not a one-man show. Top scorers Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers are all headed toward career years, Cole Perfetti has taken the next step, and the power play is one of the most dangerous in the NHL.
For Arniel to deliver a season this dominant is a win in itself for the Jets. If he can help erase the memory of last year’s playoffs with a meaningful post-season run, all the better.
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Top Five NHL Teams At Home In 2024-25: Kings, Jets And MoreBy Anthony Carbone, The Hockey News intern Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose Sharks
Hired: June 13, 2024 – Record 20-44-9 – .336 points percentage
You may be surprised to see the coach of a last-place team on this list. But Warsofsky deserves credit for delivering some positives in a tough environment, especially as a first-time NHL bench boss.
It’s never easy to make the transition from assistant coach into a head job. Warsofsky has swept away the memories of his two years working under David Quinn and approached his task at hand with vigor and positivity — and it doesn’t hurt that good-natured alumni and franchise legends Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are both lending a hand behind the scenes.
Even after a trade-deadline sell-off, Warsofsky has maintained buy-in from veterans like Tyler Toffoli and can build off the infectious enthusiasm of future stars Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. Add in another top lottery pick this summer, and the future is getting brighter in the Bay Area.
Dean Evason, Columbus Blue Jackets
Hired: July 22, 2024 – Record 33-30-9 – .521 points percentage
Evason hasn’t matched the .639 points percentage he put up during his 251 games coaching the Minnesota Wild. but he’s being measured by a different standard this season.
He hasn’t just moved the Blue Jackets from the Eastern Conference basement into potential playoff contention. He’s done it under the dark cloud of tragedy after Johnny Gaudreau’s passing in August.
On Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman declared that Evason would be his man if he had a Jack Adams vote. Evason started his new job by giving the players the space they all needed to grieve in their own ways, then offered a clean sheet for everyone to show what they could bring to the table.
That environment has brought the very best out of established players like Zach Werenski, allowed role players like Mathieu Olivier to thrive and helped youngsters like Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko all take steps forward.
It’ll be tough to root against them if they can sneak into a playoff spot.
Jim Montgomery, St. Louis Blues
Hired: Nov. 24, 2024 – Record 31-16-6 – .642 points percentage
The only coach on this list who already has a Jack Adams, Montgomery is riding high now in St. Louis, barely four months after the Boston Bruins fired him.
He was the architect of Boston’s record-breaking regular season in 2022-23. Now, he’s doing special things in the Gateway City, as the Blues’ refusal to lose is starting to draw comparisons to their storybook run of 2019.
Montgomery is making GM Doug Armstrong look like a genius for acting fast and presenting an irresistible five-year contract offer just days after he became available last fall. If he can keep doing what he’s doing, he might be one of the few coaches to break through and enjoy a multi-year tenure in one market.
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