Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery of Victoria, British Columbia has won the 2025 National Hockey League Jack Adams Award for the best NHL coach of the year on Saturday according to Rogers Sportsnet. He accomplished the feat in not only his second season coaching the Capitals, but his second season as a National Hockey League head coach overall.
Carbery had a record of 51 wins, 22 regulation losses, and nine losses in extra time for 111 points. That was the second most points in the entire NHL and the most points in the Eastern Conference. Only the Winnipeg Jets had more points in the entire NHL with 116.
What Carbery was able to achieve in Washington this year was exceptional. Heading into the season, Washington was expected to be a playoff contender. However, they were comfortably in a playoff spot very early in the season and were the first NHL team to clinch a playoff spot in 2024-25, when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on March 20.
Carbery is the fourth Capitals coach all-time to win the Jack Adams Award. All three prior head coaches on the Capitals to win the Jack Adams Award were Canadian. Bryan Murray of Shawville, Quebec won the Award in 1984, Bruce Boudreau of Toronto, Ontario won the Award in 2008, and Barry Trotz of Dauphin, Manitoba won the Award in 2016.
