TORONTO — What’s more impressive: the coach who has taken a mostly no-name lineup from fourth-worst to second-best in the NHL or the coach who has sped up a rebuild by guiding a roster of rookies into a playoff spot?
In other words, is John Tortorella of Columbus or Toronto’s Mike Babcock the early favourite to win the Jack Adams Award? And, midway through the NHL season, do the two head coaches even have any competition?
“(Babcock) and Tortorella would be neck and neck because of the dramatic improvements that both those teams have made,” said Maple Leafs play-by-play voice Joe Bowen.