List of NHL Coaches with multiple Stanley Cup Appearances

Last Modified May 16, 2024 06:34 GMT
List of NHL Coaches with multiple Stanley Cup Appearances
Stanley Cup Appearances(Dick Irvin. Source: Montreal Gazette.)

Each team in the National Hockey League (NHL) is led by a head coach who takes the responsibility of directing games, managing practices, and making strategic plays and helping them win. Aside from the regular season, the Stanley Cup holds significant value for the coaches as it gives them widespread acclaim and respect.

Moreover, NHL coaches are the driving force behind their player's actions on the ice. Furthermore, these coaches are seasoned veterans of the sport with years of game experience and make important decisions for the team such as line changes and tactical adjustments to improve the game.

Coaches with multiple Stanley Cup Appearances

The legendary Dick Irvin holds the record of most Stanley Cup appearances, with 16 appearances throughout his coaching career. Moreover, he ended up on the winning side just four times. This included three wins with the Montreal Canadiens and a sole victory with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also earned around 600 regular season wins.

Scotty Bowman, another Canadien coach,

holds the record of second most appearances, with 13 appearances throughout his coaching career. Notably, he holds the record of 1,244 regular-season wins and 223 playoff victories in NHL history alongside nine Stanley Cups in just 13 Stanley Cup final appearances.

The below table gives a glimpse into coaches with multiple Stanley Cup appearances till date:

RankHead CoachSeasons CoachedAppearancesWins
1Dick Irvin24164
2Scotty Bowman28139
3Toe Blake1398
4Lester Patrick1473
5Jack Adams1573
6Punch Imlach1164
7Hap Day955
8Al Arbour1654
9Glen Sather1054
10Art Ross1252
11Tommy Ivan753
12Sid Abel94-
13Fred Shero842
14Mike Keenan1341
15Jon Cooper1042
16Mike Babcock1431
17Frank Patrick73-
18Billy Reay123-
19Darryl Sutter1532
20Joel Quenneville2033
21Pete Green533
22Peter Laviolette1431
23Peter DeBoer92-
24Claude Julien1021
25Leo Dandurand421
26Pete Muldoon32-
27Milt Schmidt42-
28Alain Vigneault122-
29Jimmy Skinner321
30Don Cherry52-
31Ken Hitchcock1421
32Mike Sullivan822
33Lynn Patrick52-
34Rudy Pilous521
35Pat Burns1121
36Tommy Gorman522
37Eddie Gerard521
38Pat Quinn152-
39Paul Maurice112-
40Bruce Cassidy921
41Bob Johnson621
42Larry Robinson321
43Cecil Hart822
44Newsy Lalonde51-
45Paul Thompson41-
46Bep Guidolin21-
47Joe Primeau211
48Terry Crisp411
49Ken McKenzie11-
50Terry O'Reilly31-

Coaches with most Stanley Cups

Scotty Bowman holds the record of winning the most Stanley Cups till date, with nine Stanley Cup victories over 28 seasons. Out of nine championships, he won five championships with the Montreal Canadiens, three with the Detroit Red Wings and one with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Following him closely is Toe Blake with eight championships over 13 seasons.These two coaches revolutionised the National Hockey League dramatically with their coaching standards.

The below table gives a glimpse into coaches with most Stanley Cup victories till date:

RankHead CoachStanley CupsSeasons
1Scotty Bowman91975-76 to 2001-02
2Toe Blake81955-56 to 1967-68
3Hap Day51946-47 to 1948-49
4Al Arbour41979-80 to 1982-83
5Glen Sather41983-84 to 1987-88
6Punch Imlach41961-62 to 1963-64
7Dick Irvin41932 to 1953
8Tommy Ivan31950 to 1954
9Lester Patrick31925, 1928, 1933
10Jack Adams31935-36 to 1942-43
11Joel Quenneville32010, 2013, 2015
12Pete Green31919-20 to 1923-24
13Tommy Gorman21933-34 to 1934-35
14Art Ross21929, 1939
15Mike Sullivan22015-16 to 2016-17
16Fred Shero21973-74 to 1974-75
17Cecil Hart21929-30 to 1930-31
18Darryl Sutter22012, 2014
19Jon Cooper22019-20 to 2020-21

FAQ's On NHL Coaches

A. Scotty Bowman has the most Stanley Cups to his name, with nine Stanley Cup Championships in thirteen appearances.

A. Toe Blake won three Stanley Cups as a player with the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Maroons and later went on to win eight more Stanley Cups as the head coach of the Canadiens.

A. Dick Irvin holds the record of most Stanley Cup appearances at 16. Moreover, he ended up winning four championships.

A. None have achieved this milestone yet.

Related Stories

Senators stars, head coach boldly embrace 'underdog role' ahead of Round 1 battle against Maple Leafs Senators stars, head coach boldly embrace 'underdog role' ahead of Round 1 battle against Maple Leafs
Senators stars, head coach boldly embrace 'underdog role' ahead of Round 1 battle against Maple Leafs
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings Game 1: Live streaming, channel list & more for Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 | April 21, 2025 Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings Game 1: Live streaming, channel list & more for Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 | April 21, 2025
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings Game 1: Live streaming, channel list & more for Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 | April 21, 2025
Maple Leafs' Core 4 shake off ghosts of the past, after 9-point tally in lopsided 6-2 Stanley Cup playoffs Game 1 win over Senators Maple Leafs' Core 4 shake off ghosts of the past, after 9-point tally in lopsided 6-2 Stanley Cup playoffs Game 1 win over Senators
Maple Leafs' Core 4 shake off ghosts of the past, after 9-point tally in lopsided 6-2 Stanley Cup playoffs Game 1 win over Senators
New Jersey Devils injury report: Luke Hughes leaves game momentarily, Glass, Dillion exit with potential injuries in Game 1 loss to Canes New Jersey Devils injury report: Luke Hughes leaves game momentarily, Glass, Dillion exit with potential injuries in Game 1 loss to Canes
New Jersey Devils injury report: Luke Hughes leaves game momentarily, Glass, Dillion exit with potential injuries in Game 1 loss to Canes
Oilers fake a comeback as penalties & shoddy goaltending foil Connor McDavid's four-point night in 11-goal thriller vs Kings Oilers fake a comeback as penalties & shoddy goaltending foil Connor McDavid's four-point night in 11-goal thriller vs Kings
Oilers fake a comeback as penalties & shoddy goaltending foil Connor McDavid's four-point night in 11-goal thriller vs Kings
1d
Glimpse into Top 10 2025 NHL Easter family celebrations ft. Evander Kane, Vincent Trocheck and Carey Price's families Glimpse into Top 10 2025 NHL Easter family celebrations ft. Evander Kane, Vincent Trocheck and Carey Price's families
Glimpse into Top 10 2025 NHL Easter family celebrations ft. Evander Kane, Vincent Trocheck and Carey Price's families
1d
Oilers' Zach Hyman gives his thoughts on where Edmonton squad lacked in 11-goal thriller against Kings Oilers' Zach Hyman gives his thoughts on where Edmonton squad lacked in 11-goal thriller against Kings
Oilers' Zach Hyman gives his thoughts on where Edmonton squad lacked in 11-goal thriller against Kings 
1d
Leafs HC Craig Berube responds to Ridly Greig's controversial cross-check in Game 1 win over Senators - "Call the league" Leafs HC Craig Berube responds to Ridly Greig's controversial cross-check in Game 1 win over Senators - "Call the league"
Leafs HC Craig Berube responds to Ridly Greig's controversial cross-check in Game 1 win over Senators - "Call the league"
1d
Martin Fehervary injury: Washington Capitals dealt big blow on defense amid Stanley Cup quest Martin Fehervary injury: Washington Capitals dealt big blow on defense amid Stanley Cup quest
Martin Fehervary injury: Washington Capitals dealt big blow on defense amid Stanley Cup quest
1d
Elliotte Friedman gives startling insight into 'mean, nasty' Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights Game 1 battle Elliotte Friedman gives startling insight into 'mean, nasty' Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights Game 1 battle
Elliotte Friedman gives startling insight into 'mean, nasty' Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights Game 1 battle
1d
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications