Sabre Noise
Fansided

Every individual award winner in Buffalo Sabres history

By Sion Fawkes

5 Mar 1999: Michael Peca #27 of the Buffalo Sabres in action during the game against the Dallas Stars at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres defeated the Stars 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport
5 Mar 1999: Michael Peca #27 of the Buffalo Sabres in action during the game against the Dallas Stars at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres defeated the Stars 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport /
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Buffalo Sabres
26 Dec 2001: Head Coach Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres looks on while standing on the bench in front of right wing Rob Ray # 32 against the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres defeated the Canadiens 3-1. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 2001 NHLI Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart/NHLI/Getty Images /

Jack Adams Award

The Jack Adams Award goes to the coach who exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations for the season. They don’t necessarily need to win the Presidents’ Trophy or the Stanley Cup – these coaches just need to take their team further than anyone would have thought.

Ted Nolan (1996-97)

It was a year the Buffalo Sabres finished first in the NHL’s Northwest Division, with a 40-30-12 record, good for 92 points. Pat LaFontaine served as the captain while the team as a whole finished just sixth in goals allowed, so it’s no wonder Dominik Hasek won the Hart Trophy that year.

The Sabres were so impressive, that they faced +4,000 odds to win the Stanley Cup. They were supposed to be so bad, that only six teams had longer odds. Instead, they went to the playoffs and beat the Ottawa Senators in a thrilling, seven-game series, before losing to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Lindy Ruff (2005-06)

Before the 2005-06 season, the Sabres, like the 1996-97 team, faced long odds to win the Cup. Unlike the 1996-97 squad, their +6,000 odds were second only to the Washington Capitals, who sat at +12,000.

Instead of tanking, the 2005-06 Sabres proved everyone wrong. Having such a young team, they were table to take advantage of the 2004-05 NHL Lockout, allowing the likes of Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville, and other key players to spend an additional season in Rochester. The end result was a 110-point season and a trip to the Conference Finals, where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

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