The Best NHL Coaches of All Time Ranked

NHL coaches are responsible for everything from game strategy to player development. They also are mentors and role models for their players, and their success can have a major impact on the success of their team.

The top 15 NHL coaches of all time are a diverse group, with a wide range of coaching styles and philosophies. Each has had a significant impact on the game of hockey, and they continue to inspire and motivate players and other coaches alike.

The ranking is based on a variety of factors, including regular-season wins, playoff success, and awards won.

The top 15 NHL coaches of all time are:

1. Scotty Bowman
2. Joel Quenneville
3. Barry Trotz
4. Ken Hitchcock
5. Lindy Ruff
6. Jacques Lemaire
7. Al Arbour
8. Toe Blake
9. Mike Keenan
10.  Dick Irvin
11.  Darryl Sutter
12.  Glen Sather
13.  Pat Quinn
14.  Alain Vigneault
15.  Paul Maurice

1. Scotty Bowman

1. Won the Stanley Cup nine times as coach of the Montreal Canadiens (five), Detroit Red Wings (three) and Pittsburgh Penguins (one).
2. Coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
3. Is No. 1 in NHL history with 1,244 regular-season wins and 223 playoff wins.

Scotty Bowman was born in Verdun, Quebec, Canada, on Sept. 18, 1933. After his playing career was ended by an injury, he started as a junior league assistant coach in 1958.

Bowman was the first coach of the expansion St. Louis Blues. He became coach of the Montreal Canadiens in 1971 and won the Stanley Cup in his second season. He then coached the Canadiens to four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1976-79. After seven seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, he again won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992. He finished his coaching career with the Detroit Red Wings, winning the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998, and in his final season of 2002.

Bowman also won the Stanley Cup five times as a member of a team’s front office.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1977 and 1996.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.

2. Joel Quenneville

1. Played 803 games in the NHL, scored 190 points.
2. Won the Stanley Cup three times as coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.
3. Coached the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers.
4. Is second in NHL history with 969 regular-season wins and third with 121 playoff wins.

Joel Quenneville was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on Sept. 15, 1958, and played 13 seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, from 1978-91.

Quenneville began his head coaching career with the St. Louis Blues in 1997. Then, after three seasons as coach of the Colorado Avalanche, he took over the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2008 season. Quenneville coached the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships (2010, 2013, 2015) before he was fired during the 2018 season. He then coached the Florida Panthers for two seasons plus seven games in a third.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2000.

3. Barry Trotz

1. Won the Stanley Cup as coach of the Washington Capitals in 2018.
2. Coached the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders.
3. Is third in NHL history with 914 regular-season wins and has 83 playoff wins.

Barry Trotz was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on July 15, 1962, and began his coaching career as an assistant with the University of Manitoba in 1984.

Trotz coached the Nashville Predators from 1998-2014. He took over the Washington Capitals in 2015 and won the Stanley Cup in 2018. He coached the New York Islanders from 2021-22 before becoming general manager of the Predators in 2023.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2016 and 2019.

4. Ken Hitchcock

1. Won the Stanley Cup as coach of the Dallas Stars in 1999.
2. Coached the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers.
3. Is fourth in NHL history with 849 regular-season wins and has 86 playoff wins.

Ken Hitchcock was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Dec. 17, 1951, and began his coaching career in his hometown

He became an NHL head coach in 1996 with the Dallas Stars and won the Stanley Cup in 1999. He moved on to the Philadelphia Flyers from 2002-06. After coaching the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2006-10, he coached the St. Louis Blues from 2011-2017, finishing first or second in the division in five of his first six seasons. He completed his coaching career with the Edmonton Oilers in 2019.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2012.

5. Lindy Ruff

1. Played 681 games in the NHL, scored 300 points.
2. Has not won the Stanley Cup as coach.
3. Coached the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils.
4. Is fifth in NHL history with 834 regular-season wins and had 66 playoff wins entering 2023.

Lindy Ruff was born in Warburg, Alberta, Canada, on Feb. 17, 1960, and played 12 seasons in the NHL as a forward, from 1979-91.

Ruff coached the Buffalo Sabres for 15 seasons, from 1997-2013, and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999. He followed that with four seasons as coach of the Dallas Stars, and has been coach of the New Jersey Devils since 2021.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2006.

6. Jacques Lemaire

1. Played 853 games in the NHL, scored 835 points.
2. Won the Stanley Cup as coach of the New Jersey Devils in 1995.
3. Coached the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild.
4. Is 20th in NHL history with 617 regular-season wins and has 61 playoff wins.

Jacques Lemaire was born in LaSalle, Quebec, Canada, on Sept. 7, 1945 and played 12 seasons in the NHL as a center, from 1967-79.

Lemaire became coach of the Montreal Canadiens in 1984, less than five years after playing for them. He took over the New Jersey Devils in 1993 and won their first  Stanley Cup championship in 1995. He became the first coach of the expansion Minnesota Wild in 2000 and stayed until 2008, before completing his coaching career with the Devils from 2009-11.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1994 and 2003.

Lemaire won the Stanley Cup eight times as a player for the Canadiens, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.

7. Al Arbour

1. Played 626 games in the NHL, scored 70 points.
2. Won the Stanley Cup four times as coach of the New York Islanders.
3. Coached the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders.
4. Is seventh in NHL history with 782 regular-season wins and second with 123 playoff wins.

Al Arbour was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, on Nov. 1, 1932, and played 14 seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, from 1953-71.

Arbour coached the St. Louis Blues for 107 games from 1970-72 before becoming coach of the New York islanders for the 1973 season. There he won the Stanley Cup four consecutive times (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983) before losing the Final in 1984. Arbour was coach of the Islanders for 19 seasons and then returned for one game in 2007 to reach 1,500 games coached with the team.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1979.

Arbour won the Stanley Cup three times as a player, and is one of eight players to win consecutive championships with different teams (Chicago Black Hawks 1961, Toronto Maple Leafs 1962).

Arbour was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996. He died on Aug. 28, 2015.

8. Toe Blake

1. Played 577 games in the NHL, scored 529 points.
2. Won the Stanley Cup eight times as coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
3. Is 28th in NHL history with 500 regular-season wins and has 82 playoff wins.

Toe Blake was born in Victoria Mines, Ontario, Canada, on Aug. 21, 1912, and played 14 seasons in the NHL as a forward, from 1935-48.

His playing career was ended by an injury, and he became coach of the Canadiens in 1955. He won the Stanley Cup in each of his first five seasons, and in three of his last four, including his final season of 1968. He did not coach any other NHL team.

He led the NHL in scoring and won the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1939, and won the Stanley Cup three times as a player.

Blake was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. He died on May 17, 1995.

9. Mike Keenan

1. Won the Stanley Cup as coach of the New York Rangers in 1994.
2. Coached the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames.
3. Is 15th in NHL history with 672 regular-season wins and fifth with 96 playoff wins.

Mike Keenan was born in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, on Oct. 21, 1949, and started his coaching career at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute in Toronto.

He became coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1984 and reached the Stanley Cup Final in two of his first three seasons. He then coached the Chicago Blackhawks for four seasons and reached the Cup Final in the final season of 1992. He coached the New York Rangers for one season, 1994, and won their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years, and only one in the past 83 years. He coached five teams in his final 11 NHL seasons, ending in 2009.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1985.

10. Dick Irvin

1. Played 95 games in the NHL, scored 52 points.
2. Won the Stanley Cup four times as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs (once) and Montreal Canadiens (three).
3. Coached the Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
4. Is 13th in NHL history with 691 regular-season wins and fourth with 100 playoff wins.

Dick Irvin was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, on July 19, 1892, and played three seasons in the NHL as a center from 1926-29.

Irvin began his head coaching career with 12 games with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1929. After one more full season with them, he took over the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1931 and won the Stanley Cup that season. He left the Maple Leafs after eight more seasons and became coach of the Montreal Canadiens in 1940. There he won the Stanley Cup three times in his 15 seasons (1944, 1946, 1953).

Irvin was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958. He died on May 16, 1957.

11. Darryl Sutter

1. Played 406 games in the NHL, scored 279 points.
2. Won the Stanley Cup twice as coach of the Los Angeles Kings.
3. Coached the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings.
4. Is ninth in NHL history with 737 regular-season wins and sixth with 94 playoff wins.

Darryl Sutter was born in Viking, Alberta, Canada, on Aug. 19, 1958, and played eight seasons in the NHL as a center, from 1979-87.

After injuries forced him to retire as a player at age 28, he became coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1992 at age 34. Following time as coach of the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames, he became coach of the Los Angeles Kings for the 2011 season and won the Stanley Cup in his first and third season with them. He returned to coach the Flames for three seasons and was fired in 2023, one season after he won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year.

12. Glen Sather

1. Played 658 games in the NHL, scored 193 points.
2. Won the Stanley Cup four times as coach of the Edmonton Oilers.
3. Coached the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers.
4. Is 30th in NHL history with 497 regular-season wins and ninth with 89 playoff wins.

Glen Sather was born in High River, Alberta, Canada, on Sept. 2, 1943, and played 10 seasons in the NHL as forward, from 1966-76.

Sather had coached the Edmonton Oilers for three seasons in the World Hockey Association before they joined the NHL for the 1979 season. They went on to win the Stanley Cup four times in five seasons from 1984-88. He completed his coaching career with 80 games over two seasons for the New York Rangers (2002-04).

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1986.

Sather was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.

13. Pat Quinn

1. Played 606 games in the NHL, scored 131 points.
2. Did not win the Stanley Cup as coach.
3. Coached the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers.
4. Is 14th in NHL history with 684 regular-season wins and seventh with 84 playoff wins.

Pat Quinn was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on Jan. 29, 1943, and played nine seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, from 1968-77.

He became coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1979 and was there for three more seasons. He joined the Los Angeles Kings for three seasons before taking over the Vancouver Canucks. There he made his only coaching appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, in 1994. After seven seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he completed his career with one season with the Edmonton Oilers, ending in 2010.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1980 and 1992.

Quinn was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016. He died on Nov. 23, 2014.

14. Alain Vigneault

1. Played 42 games in the NHL, scored seven points.
2. Has not won the Stanley Cup as coach.
3. Coached the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.
4. Is 10th in NHL history with 722 regular-season wins and has 78 playoff wins.

Alain Vigneault was born in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on May 14, 1961, and played two seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, from 1981-83.

After coaching the Montreal Canadiens for four seasons, beginning in 1997, he reached the Stanley Cup Final once in seven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks (2011) and in his first of five seasons with the New York Rangers (2014). He most recently coached the Philadelphia Flyers from 2019-21.

He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2007.

15. Paul Maurice

1. Has not won the Stanley Cup as coach.
2. Coached the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers.
3. Is sixth in NHL history with 817 regular-season wins and had 41 playoff wins entering 2023.

Paul Maurice was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, on Jan. 30, 1967. 

Maurice became an NHL coach at 29 years old, with the Hartford Whalers in 1995. He coached seven seasons after the team moved to become the Carolina Hurricanes and made his only coaching appearance in the Stanley Cup Final in 2002. He later returned to Carolina for four more seasons after two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also coached the Winnipeg Jets for nine seasons.

Now, coach of the Florida Panthers, Maurice is less than one season from becoming second in NHL history in games coached, behind Scotty Bowman.