Jack Adams: Martin St-Louis isn’t even among the seven favorites (and that’s ridiculous)

Martin St-Louis was a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy at the end of last season.

He took his club to the playoffs when it wasn't really expected, and his work was lauded even if he didn't go home with the trophy awarded to the NHL's best coach of the year.

That said…

Since the start of the season, St-Louis has done some truly impressive things with his club. The Canadiens are the youngest team in the National League, have had problems in front of the net for some time, have to deal with the absence of key players… and still find themselves in 7th place overall in the NHL standings.

This leads me to believe that the Canadiens' pilot should AT LEAST be in the discussion for the Jack Adams Trophy so far this season.

But… that's not the case: Jared Bednar (52 points), Joel Quenneville (49 points), Todd McLellan (25 points), John Hynes (21 points), Rick Tocchet (18 points), Jon Cooper (14 points), and Glen Gulutzan (14 points) are all ahead of him right now, according to the NHL.

Is Marty St. Louis not getting any recognition this year because the Habs shocked the world and made the playoffs last year? At the top of the East with the youngest team by far and dealing with mediocre goaltending and heavy injuries…but Dallas's coach is doing a better job …https://t.co/I2QS49xUUW

– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) January 6, 2026

Let's agree on one thing.

Right now, Jared Bednar is the favorite for the Jack Adams, and that's no surprise. The Avalanche have dominated the Bettman circuit since Day 1 of the season, and their 31-3-7 record (69 points) after 41 games is simply outstanding.

I also have no problem seeing Joel Quenneville at #2 on the list above, because he's doing a remarkable job with his (young) club in California. The Ducks could make the playoffs and that would be a nice surprise in the NHL.

But… then again, you have to give credit to Martin St-Louis, and that's where it bothers me a little. He's not even one of the seven coaches with the most voting points, and that's a little illogical when you think about it.

Without taking anything away from the names on the list above, I'd even give points to Patrick Roy… since his Islanders are in 8th place overall in the NHL at the time of writing.

He, too, deserves a pat on the back.

Overtime

– I just love him.

Yeah, he's so back pic.twitter.com/TnVBSTmzVR

– Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) January 6, 2026

– Hmm…

Rangers are done for. Don't think Wild have the assets for Panarin (but you never know), could be the biggest name available at the deadline.

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) January 6, 2026

– Good reading.

Ross Atkins has publicly discussed the possibility of adding (another) player. https://t. co/Rf7kQ91L2B

– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) January 6, 2026