NHL Coaches 2026-27
Every NHL head coach for 2026-27, most experienced first, with the club's record, its general manager and the coach's Jack Adams Award price.
2026-27 · 32 head coachesUpdated Wednesday, Oct 7, 2026 · 1:48 PM ET
Where these numbers come from: Coaching staffs and front offices from each club's profile in the NHL team hubs; records from the league standings; Jack Adams prices from Kalshi's KXNHLADAMS market; points lines from Kalshi's KXNHLSEASONPTS ladders.
BY THE NUMBERS
2026-27 NHL benches, at a glance
Behind the benches122 yearsCombined experience of 32 head coaches, 3.8 each on average
Longest-serving18 yearsLindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres
Do contenders hire veterans?5.3 vs 2.1Average years of experience: coaches of clubs above the median points line, against those below it
EXPERIENCE VS. EXPECTATIONSEach head coach’s years of experience against the points line Kalshi’s market sets for the club.
Do the best teams hire veterans?
NHL head coaches’ experience vs. the market’s points line
ALL 32 CLUBS
2026-27 NHL head coaches
| Team | Head coach | Exp | Record | Jack Adams | General manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | Lindy Ruff | 18 | 2-1-0 | -- | Jarmo Kekäläinen |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Jon Cooper | 15 | 2-1-0 | -- | Julien BriseBois |
| Colorado Avalanche | Jared Bednar | 10 | 2-0-0 | -- | Joe Sakic |
| Carolina Hurricanes | Rod Brind'Amour | 9 | 2-1-1 | -- | Eric Tulsky |
| Montreal Canadiens | Martin St. Louis | 6 | 1-1-1 | 60% | Kent Hughes |
| Utah Mammoth | Andre Tourigny | 6 | 3-1-0 | -- | Bill Armstrong |
| Florida Panthers | Paul Maurice | 5 | 2-0-2 | -- | Bill Zito |
| Calgary Flames | Ryan Huska | 4 | 0-3-0 | -- | Craig Conroy |
| Nashville Predators | Andrew Brunette | 4 | 1-1-1 | -- | Chris MacFarland |
| Detroit Red Wings | Todd McLellan | 3 | 1-2-0 | -- | Steve Yzerman |
| New Jersey Devils | Sheldon Keefe | 3 | 1-2-0 | -- | Sunny Mehta |
| Ottawa Senators | Travis Green | 3 | 2-1-0 | -- | Steve Staios |
| San Jose Sharks | Ryan Warsofsky | 3 | 2-1-0 | 60% | Mike Grier |
| St. Louis Blues | Jim Montgomery | 3 | 1-2-0 | -- | Alexander Steen |
| Washington Capitals | Spencer Carbery | 3 | 1-1-0 | -- | Chris Patrick |
| Winnipeg Jets | Scott Arniel | 3 | 2-0-1 | -- | Kevin Cheveldayoff |
| Anaheim Ducks | Joel Quenneville | 2 | 2-0-0 | -- | Pat Verbeek |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Jeff Blashill | 2 | 1-3-0 | -- | Kyle Davidson |
| Dallas Stars | Glen Gulutzan | 2 | 1-2-0 | -- | Jim Nill |
| Minnesota Wild | John Hynes | 2 | 2-0-1 | -- | Bill Guerin |
| New York Rangers | Mike Sullivan | 2 | 4-1-0 | -- | Chris Drury |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Rick Tocchet | 2 | 0-2-2 | -- | Daniel Briere |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Dan Muse | 2 | 2-1-0 | -- | Kyle Dubas |
| Seattle Kraken | Lane Lambert | 2 | 2-2-0 | -- | Jason Botterill |
| Boston Bruins | Marco Sturm | 1 | 2-2-0 | -- | Don Sweeney |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Rick Bowness | 1 | 1-1-0 | -- | Don Waddell |
| Edmonton Oilers | Mike Babcock | 1 | 2-0-1 | -- | Stan Bowman |
| Los Angeles Kings | Peter Laviolette | 1 | 0-2-1 | -- | Ken Holland |
| New York Islanders | Peter DeBoer | 1 | 1-2-0 | -- | Mathieu Darche |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Jim Hiller | 1 | 2-2-0 | -- | John Chayka |
| Vancouver Canucks | Manny Malhotra | 1 | 2-2-0 | 60% | Ryan Johnson |
| Vegas Golden Knights | Ryan Craig | 1 | 3-1-0 | -- | Kelly McCrimmon |
METHOD
How to read this page
Experience is the coach’s years as the league feed counts them; a dash means the feed does not say.
The Jack Adams Award goes to the coach “adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success”. The price is the market’s chance he wins it; a dash means no contract is quoted for him.
The chart plots each club’s points line, the rung of its Kalshi season-points ladder priced closest to even money, because the Jack Adams market is too thin to chart: it quotes 3 of 32 coaches. A green ring marks the ones it does.
FAQ
Questions
Which NHL head coach has the most experience?
Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres, with 18 years.
SEE ALSO
More from this section
TEAMS
Every NHL team
- Anaheim Ducks
- Boston Bruins
- Buffalo Sabres
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- Carolina Hurricanes
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- Seattle Kraken
- St. Louis Blues
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Utah Mammoth
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- Vegas Golden Knights
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