Stanley Cup Finals: Coaches Who Also Played in the NHL

The two teams in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings, have a lot of leadership behind their benches.  Between the Devils and the Kings, nine members of the coaching staffs have played in the National Hockey League.  Some of these men are considered some of the greatest to ever play in the league.

The current players should feel very fortunate to have these coaches as mentors, who can help them with both the technical and the mental aspects of the game.

Let’s meet the former players and current coaches.

Larry Robinson

Larry Robinson was one of the best defensemen in National Hockey League history.

Robinson won six Stanley Cup championships with the Montreal Canadiens.  He played in 10 All-Star Games, won two Norris Trophies as the league’s best defenseman, and was a First Team All-Star three times.

He has the highest career plus/minus rating in NHL history at +730.  In 1977-78, Robinson won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player.

Robinson became a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.  The Canadiens have retired Robinson’s number 19.

As a head coach with the New Jersey Devils, Robinson won the 1999-2000 Stanley Cup championship.  The Devils are glad to have Robinson on their coaching staff once again, this time to mentor the defense.

Adam Oates

Adam Oates was one of the best forwards in the National Hockey League during the 1990s.

Oates made five All-Star teams and ranks sixth all-time in assists (1,079).  He led the NHL in assists three different seasons.

The only thing missing from Oates’ resume is a Stanley Cup championship.  The Devils hope to put his name on the cup this season as an assistant coach.

Dave Barr

New Jersey Devils assistant coach Dave Barr played over 600 games in the National Hockey League with seven different teams.

Barr scored at least 50 points twice in his career.  He retired from hockey in 1997 after finishing the last three seasons of his career in the IHL.

Jacques Caron

Jacques Caron played 72 games as a goaltender in the National Hockey League from 1967 to 1974.  Caron’s best season was in 1971-72, where he won 14 games and posted a 2.52 goals against average for the St. Louis Blues.

Jacques Laperriere

Like Larry Robinson, Jacques Laperriere starred on defense for the Montreal Canadiens.  Like Robinson, Laperriere was one of the best defensemen in National Hockey League history.

Laperriere won six Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens, the team with which he played his entire career.  He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987. 

The five-time All-Star led the NHL in plus/minus (+78) for the 1972-73 season.  The two-time First Team All-Star won the Norris Trophy in 1965-66, as well as the Calder Memorial Trophy (best rookie) in 1963-64.

Laperriere and Robinson played for arguably the greatest dynasty in league history, and the Devils should be honored to have them on the coaching staff.

Scott Stevens

Like Larry Robinson and Jacques Laperriere who came before him, Scott Stevens was one of the best defensemen in National Hockey League history.  Unlike Robinson and Laperriere, Stevens played part of his career with the New Jersey Devils.

Stevens was destined for greatness when the Washington Capitals selected him fifth overall in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.  30 years later, the Hockey Hall of Famer (2007) has the opportunity to win another Stanley Cup championship with the Devils.

The 13-time All-Star won three Stanley Cup championships with the Devils.  He won the 1999-2000 Conn Smythe Trophy, and he was named a First Team All-Star twice.

Stevens holds the 13^th best plus/minus rating (+393) and has played in the 7^th most games (1635) in NHL history.  The Devils have retired Stevens’ number 4.

Darryl Sutter

Darryl Sutter, the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, played over 400 games for the Chicago Blackhawks from 1979 to 1987.

Sutter scored at least 20 goals in five consecutive seasons from 1980-81 through 1984-85.  In 1980-81, Sutter scored a career best 40 goals.  His 19.4 percent shooting percentage ranks eighth all-time in the National Hockey League.

As a head coach, Sutter has led the Calgary Flames (2003-04) and the Kings (2011-12) to the Stanley Cup Finals.

John Stevens

John Stevens played only 53 games in the National Hockey League from 1986 to 1994.  Stevens registered no goals and 10 assists in his career.

Stevens coached parts of four seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers before joining the Los Angeles Kings staff.  This season, he was the Kings’ interim head coach for four games after Terry Murray was fired and before Darryl Sutter was hired.

Bill Ranford

Bill Ranford played nearly 650 games in the National Hockey League from 1985 to 2000.

Ranford won his only Stanley Cup championship with the Edmonton Oilers in 1989-90.  He won the Conn Smythe Trophy that season as well.

Though the 1991 All-Star selection played for five different franchises during his career, Ranford came back to Edmonton in 1999-2000, where he retired.

Ranford played a significant role in the 1980s Oilers dynasty, and he has surely played a significant role in the development of Jonathan Quick as the Los Angeles Kings goaltending coach.