Spencer Carbery, who elevated the Caps, is the NHL's coach of the year
Spencer Carbery thought he was sitting down for an interview with Monumental Sports Network to discuss the Washington Capitals' season, reflecting on the accomplishments of his second year behind the bench and talking about what he learned. Instead, he was shown a video that featured many of his mentors, including Colorado Avalanche Coach Jared Bednar, offering their congratulations. They just didn't say for what.
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When Carbery turned around from the video, there was a man walking into the room with the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the coach who has 'contributed the most to his team's success' and voted on by the NHL Broadcasters' Association. He is the first Capitals coach to win the award since Barry Trotz in 2016.
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'As a head coach, as a coach at any level in any league in the world, it's the highest individual honor that you can receive,' Carbery told The Washington Post. 'I know the No. 1 goal is always and always will be the Stanley Cup. That's just the way that we're wired. It is a team-first sport and you would trade this award for the Stanley Cup any day of the week.
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'But when it comes to recognition of a coaching staff and a coach, it's the highest honour. When you look at some of the names on that trophy, it's pretty humbling. Just really, really grateful.'
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Carbery, 43, is the first person to win the coach of the year award in the NHL, the American Hockey League and the ECHL. Both previous awards came when he was working for Capitals affiliates: He won in the AHL in 2021 while coaching the Hershey Bears and won in the ECHL in 2014 while coaching the South Carolina Stingrays.
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'That brings it all sort of full-circle,' Carbery said. 'I was saying this the other day, because someone asked me, 'Did you ever dream of winning the Jack Adams Award?' I said, 'I didn't even dream of coaching in the NHL.''
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Back when he was named Stingrays coach, Carbery said, his main focus was simple: 'Jeez, I just hope I can do a really good job,' both for Robbie Concannon, the team president who hired him, and the team's owners. He hoped to stay in South Carolina, he said, 'for the next 20 years,' sticking with his team and raising a family.
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'I never even thought, 'NHL, what if I could move up to be this?'' Carbery said. 'It was just like, 'Can I please, please, please do an okay job in South Carolina to stay an ECHL head coach?''
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Carbery quickly fell in love with coaching when he became an assistant for the Stingrays in 2010. A year later, he was the head coach. In 2018, he became the coach of the Hershey Bears, then jumped up to the NHL as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs before he was hired in Washington in 2023.
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