Is Next Year Babcock's Chance For A Jack Adams?

Written by Chris on 21 June 2012.

Well the Wings ended up empty-handed last night, which isn't suprising really to anyone. Datsyuk's third place in Selke voting was the closest the Wings came to any hardware.

One thing I noted though is that Mike Babcock finished 10th in Jack Adams voting with one 3rd place vote. Sure, this year wasn't the Wings best and I don't think he deserved to win, but one 3rd place vote? Come on.

Hit the jump for more on Babbles.

It is fairly commonly agreed that Babcock is one of the best coaches in the league. He's won an Olympic gold medal, a Stanley Cup and Nick Lidstrom's admiration. Yet he's never won a Jack Adams or even been that close.

Now this begs the question, what does he have to do to win this award? Usually it goes to a coach of a team who overachieves. Well Detroit's expectations have been high as hell for, oh, the last twenty years. Should Mike Babcock win if he's the best coach on the best team? I think so, but that's not how it's worked in the past.

This upcoming year, depending on the summer, might be the first time where Detroit isn't at least considered a contender by the media. Of course, if it goes the way as planned and we reload as I hope, this won't be the case. Yet it's a possiblity. So if the Wings end up being a contender despite losing Lidstrom (and I fully expect them to be), will that finally give him a chance to win?

I don't know, but I hope so. Babbles deserves a trophy to go along with that ring and gold medel of his.