Apr 12, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery looks at a replay against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

Capitals’ Spencer Carbery Captures First Jack Adams Award

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 11:26 AM ET

Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Cabrery has emerged as one of the premier coaches in the NHL. Following the Caps’ resurgence during the 2024-2025 campaign, ending in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Carbery has been named this year’s Jack Adam’s Award winner. This award is given annually to the the NHL coach “adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.”

The Capitals’ coach was surprised with the recognition in memorable fashion. According to the NHL’s press release sharing the news, Carbery found out he was named the league’s best coach when his family interrupted an end-of-season interview to give him the news. The NHL shared the touching moment.

Spencer Carbery of the @Capitals is this year’s winner of the Jack Adams Award! #NHLAwards

The Jack Adams Award is presented annually to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.

Read more: https://t.co/xM1fywP29e pic.twitter.com/7LFozssz2j
— NHL (@NHL) June 7, 2025

The award was a runaway win for Carbery, making his first Jack Adams even more impressive. Voted on the by NHL’s Broadcaster Association, Carbery hauled in a whopping 464 points off of 81 first-place votes, 19 second-place votes, and two third-place votes. The runner-up for the award, Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets, received 249 points resulting from 16 first-place votes and 52 second-place tallies. The decision is overwhelmingly in Carbery’s favor.

There’s no doubting that the record-breaking year from captain Alex Ovechkin helped seal the deal. The Great 8 eclipsed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time regular season goal scoring leader. The monumental occasion was a highlight of Washington and the entire league’s 2024-2025 season, and Carbery’s guidance, consistency, and encouragement paid dividends for Ovi in his record-setting performance.

The Capitals also improved drastically compared to their 2023-2024 season. Washington improved by 20 points in the standings, finishing this past regular season with a 52-22-9 record. Their 111 points helped them secure a Metropolitan Division title, the first-place seed in the Eastern Conference, and the second-best record in the entire league. It was a year little saw coming after their 91-point showing in 2023-2024, but Carbery’s performance stands out as the best coaching performance in the NHL. Now, he has the accolade to go along with it and the Capitals are in a much more optimistic space entering the 2025-2026 season and beyond.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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