Best NHL Coaches to Never Win a Stanley Cup Title

Head coach ( h

d  k

ch): scapegoat, whipping post, lightning rod, villain, oppressor of star player. Also see: stooge, sitting duck, easy mark, doormat, patsy.

Being a head coach in any sport typically doesn't end well. When you consider that a typical year ends when you lose your last game, a coach better have a thick skin.

A head coach will typically take most of the blame for a loss and get no credit for the win. After all, it's a heck of a lot easier to replace one guy at the top than a bunch of high-priced underachievers who sell jerseys with guaranteed contracts.

Some coaches get a reputation as postseason chokers. Fair or unfair, the success or failure of a team in the playoffs can make or break a coach's legacy. A quick glance at the most successful regular-season coaches won't necessarily show the best postseason coaches.

When it comes to the second season, some guys have what it takes to inspire, motivate, drive and even will their team to win. Then there's these guys. Not to say that they will never win, but these coaches aren't getting any younger.

In a league that has seen more parity now than ever before in its history, the Stanley Cup is regarded as the most difficult trophy to win in team sports.

Don't believe me? Ask any of these next 10 guys how tough it is.

Jacques Martin

Jacques Martin started the forgettable 2011-12 season as the head coach in Montreal. He finished the season, well, probably happy he isn't the coach in Montreal. Resting comfortably unemployed at No. 10 on the all-time wins list, Martin is a veteran of two conference finals.

He could never get to the Stanley Cup Final, but Martin is known best for bringing the Ottawa franchise to respectability. The knock against Martin has always been underperforming in the playoffs. His track record of success in the regular season and his ability to turn franchises in the right direction mean that he probably won't be unemployed for long.

Coaching record

Bryan Murray

The senior of the NHL's Murray brothers, Bryan currently currently calls the shots as the general manager of the Ottawa Senators. Bryan had a successful but unfulfilled career behind the bench for the Capitals, Red Wings, Panthers and Ducks.

His last stop as coach of the Senators got him closest to the holy grail of Lord Stanley in the spring of 2007. His talented Sens fell to his previous employer in Anaheim in a cruel and ironic twist. That 2007 Cup finalist was Murray's only team that advanced beyond the second round.

In spite of his 620 regular-season wins, his postseason record was a less than impressive 52-60.

Coaching record

Barry Melrose

Just kidding! Seeing if you're still paying attention! For the record:

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season							Post season
		G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	Result
LA	1992–93	84	39	35	10	-	88	3rd in Smythe	Lost in Cup Final
LA	1993–94	84	27	45	12	-	66	5th in Pacific	Missed Playoffs
LA	1994–95	41	13	21	7	-	(33)	4th in Pacific	(fired)
TB	2008–09	16	5	7	-	4	(14)	5th in Southeast	(fired)
Total		225	84	108	29	4

Terry Murray

The younger of the "Flying Murray Brothers," Terry was relieved of his coaching duties in Los Angeles after his Kings squad stumbled out of the gate last fall. As the talented Kings take the ice in the Western Conference finals, Murray probably has some mixed emotions.

His most recent stop on the coaching carousel was preceded by visits to Washington, Philadelphia and Florida. Originally helped out by his brother to get into the coaching ranks in Washington, Terry certainly was able to make a slightly better name for himself in the postseason. With a record closer to .500, Terry Murray's teams fell short of expectations.

His only appearance in the finals was with the "Legion of Doom" in Philadelphia in 1997.

Coaching Record

Barry Trotz

As the only coach in franchise history, the legend of Barry Trotz looked to grow exponentially as his Predators capped a spectacular regular season with a five-game destruction of the hated Red Wings. The wheels fell off the wagon in Music City in all-too-familiar fashion as Trotz's Predators were wiped out by Phoenix in Round 2.

The most impressive part of the Trotz tenure is how quickly he made Nashville competitive and relevant in a non-traditional hockey market. Predators games are full-blown events in Nashville, and expectations are starting to build. It's ironic to think that a hockey team in Nashville could actually disappoint its fanbase with a second-round exit, but the humble Predators coach wouldn't have it any other way.

Coaching Record

Billy Reay

Billy Reay at least got to lift the Cup as a player in 1946 and 1953. He got to the finals as a coach three different times and lost all three. Reay is in the top 15 in almost all coaching win categories but could never get his teams to Stanley Cup glory.

Despite having loaded teams in the early 1970s with Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull, the Blackhawks couldn't match their regular-season success in the playoffs.

Coaching record

Paul Maurice

The crappiest bit of irony for (former) Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice was that, during his two-year absence from the Carolina bench, the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup (2006). While it could be argued that Maurice's influence helped get them over the hump to Stanley Cup glory, I don't think he got fitted for a ring.

Carolina's slow start this season led to Maurice being let go as coach. The good news for 'Canes fans is that this means that they will again win the Stanley Cup in 2014, and Maurice will return to coach the team in 2016.

Coaching record

Lindy Ruff

Tied with Barry Trotz as the longest-tenured coach in the NHL today, Ruff was a Stanley Cup finalist in 1998-99. He is the all-time Sabres leader in wins and playoff wins.

Though the Sabres fell short in their playoff push this year, Ruff will have them back contending next year.

Coaching Record

Ron Wilson

Ron Wilson was the latest and greatest scapegoat to fall short of unrealistic expectations in Toronto. Wilson's record in Toronto wasn't awful, but without a playoff appearance, Wilson had to know his days were numbered.

Successful with every team he's coached, except of course Toronto, Wilson lost in his only Stanley Cup Final appearance, getting swept by the Red Wings as the coach of the Washington Capitals.

Coaching Record

Pat Quinn

Pat Quinn has the distinction of being the winningest coach to never lift the Stanley Cup. A cup finalist with the Flyers in 1980 and the Canucks in 1994, "The Big Irishman" also holds the unofficial crown as the last coach to get Toronto to the playoffs.

Quinn's 684 career wins rank him fourth on the all-time list, and his 94 playoff wins have him sitting fifth in league history.

At age 69, chances are, the Leafs won't be buzzing Quinn unless they have a better shot at getting to the playoffs, much less lifting the Cup.

Coaching record