List of New Jersey Devils head coaches
This is a list of New Jersey Devils head coaches . The Devils had 20 different head coaches since the team moved to New Jersey in the 1982–83 , with Jacques Lemaire serving as coach three times and Tom McVie , Larry Robinson , and Lou Lamoriello each serving twice.
Three coaches have led the team to a victory in the Stanley Cup Finals : Lemaire in 1995 , Robinson in 2000 , and Pat Burns in 2003 . Lemaire is the all-time leader in games coached and wins, while Burns leads in winning percentage (with at least one full season coached).
Several former players have worked for the Devils as assistant coaches, including John MacLean and Bobby Carpenter , the only men whose names are inscribed on the Stanley Cup as both a player and a coach with New Jersey. MacLean later served as head coach and is the only former Devils' player to serve in that capacity.
On December 26, 2014, after the firing of DeBoer, head coaching responsibilities were split between Adam Oates and Scott Stevens for the remainder of the 2014–15 season, with Lamoriello supervising the team from the bench.[ 1] [ 2]
Key
Coaches
Note: This list does not include data from the Kansas City Scouts and the Colorado Rockies . Statistics are correct through the 2023–24 season .
#
Name
Dates
Regular season
Playoffs
Achievements
Ref
GC
W
L
T
OTL
Pts
Win%[1]
GC
W
L
1
Bill MacMillan [2]
June 30, 1983 – November 22, 1983
100
19
67
14
—
52
.260
—
—
—
[ 3]
2
Tom McVie
November 22, 1983 – May 31, 1984
60
15
38
7
—
37
.308
—
—
—
[ 4]
3
Doug Carpenter
May 31, 1984 – January 26, 1988
290
100
166
24
—
224
.386
—
—
—
[ 5]
4
Jim Schoenfeld [3]
January 26, 1988 – November 6, 1989
124
50
59
15
—
115
.464
20
11
9
[ 6]
5
John Cunniff
November 6, 1989 – March 4, 1991
133
59
56
18
—
136
.511
6
2
4
[ 7]
—
Tom McVie
March 4, 1991 – June 5, 1992
93
42
36
15
—
99
.532
14
6
8
[ 4]
6
Herb Brooks
June 5, 1992 – May 31, 1993
84
40
37
7
—
87
.518
5
1
4
[ 8]
7
Jacques Lemaire §
June 28, 1993 – May 8, 1998
378
199
122
57
—
455
.602
56
34
22
Stanley Cup champions (1995 )Jack Adams Award (1994 )
[ 9]
8
Robbie Ftorek [4]
May 21, 1998 – March 23, 2000
156
88
44
19
5
200
.625
7
3
4
[ 10]
9
Larry Robinson §[5]
March 23, 2000 – January 28, 2002
141
73
43
19
6
171
.606
48
31
17
Stanley Cup champions (2000 )
[ 11]
10
Kevin Constantine
January 28, 2002 – June 13, 2002
31
20
8
2
1
43
.677
6
2
4
[ 12]
11
Pat Burns §[6]
June 13, 2002 – July 14, 2005
164
89
45
22
8
208
.634
29
17
12
Stanley Cup champions (2003 )
[ 13]
—
Larry Robinson[7]
July 14, 2005 – December 19, 2005
32
14
13
—
5
33
.516
—
—
—
[ 11]
12
Lou Lamoriello
December 19, 2005 – May 14, 2006
50
32
14
—
4
68
.680
9
5
4
[ 14]
13
Claude Julien [8]
June 13, 2006 – April 2, 2007
79
47
24
—
8
102
.646
—
—
—
[ 15]
—
Lou Lamoriello
April 2, 2007 – July 12, 2007
3
2
0
—
1
5
.833
11
5
6
[ 14]
14
Brent Sutter [9]
July 12, 2007 – June 10, 2009
164
97
56
—
11
205
.625
12
4
8
[ 16]
—
Jacques Lemaire
July 13, 2009 – April 26, 2010
82
48
27
—
7
103
.628
5
1
4
[ 9]
15
John Maclean
June 17, 2010 – December 23, 2010
33
9
22
—
2
20
.303
—
—
—
[ 17]
—
Jacques Lemaire
December 23, 2010 – April 10, 2011
49
29
17
—
3
61
.622
—
—
—
[ 9]
16
Peter DeBoer
July 19, 2011 – December 26, 2014
212
102
76
—
34
238
.561
24
14
10
[ 18]
17
Adam Oates Scott Stevens
December 27, 2014 – June 2, 2015
46
20
17
—
7
47
.511
—
—
—
[ 19]
18
John Hynes
June 2, 2015 – December 3, 2019
354
150
159
—
45
345
.487
5
1
4
[ 20]
—
Alain Nasreddine
December 3, 2019 – July 9, 2020
43
19
16
—
8
46
.535
—
—
—
[ 21]
19
Lindy Ruff
July 9, 2020 – March 4, 2024
281
128
125
—
28
284
.505
12
5
7
[ 22]
—
Travis Green
March 4, 2024 – May 7, 2024
21
8
12
—
1
17
.405
—
—
—
[ 23]
20
Sheldon Keefe
May 23, 2024–present
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
[ 24]
Notes
^ The win–loss percentage is calculated using the formula:
W
i
n
s
+
1
2
T
i
e
s
G
a
m
e
s
{\displaystyle {\frac {Wins+{\frac {1}{2}}Ties}{Games}}}
^ Since the Devils officially finalized their move from Colorado to New Jersey on June 30, 1982, that is the date that their reign as coach and assistant coach began on the Devils.
^ Schoenfeld was suspended for one game during the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs for verbally abusing referee Don Koharski ; general manager Lou Lamoriello filled in as coach for the Devils' 7–1 loss to Boston .[ 25]
^ Although Ftorek was replaced during the 1999–2000 season , he got his name on the Cup when the Devils won it later that same season.
^ Robinson was demoted to assistant coach and replaced as head coach in the middle of the 2001–02 season , but the Devils placed his name on the Cup when they won the following season even though he had left before the 2002–03 season even began.
^ Pat Burns resigned after being diagnosed with cancer.[ 26]
^ Larry Robinson resigned due to stress-related health problems.[ 27]
^ Claude Julien was fired with just 3 games left in the 2006–07 regular season .[ 28]
^ Brent Sutter quit after two years of a three-year contract, citing a desire to be closer to home in Alberta, with his family and minor league hockey team, the Red Deer Rebels .[ 29] Several weeks later, Sutter was announced as the head coach of the Calgary Flames . Despite the fact that Calgary had to request permission to talk to Sutter, the Devils received no compensation.[ 30]
References
^ "Devils name Stevens, Oates to replace DeBoer" . NHL.com . December 27, 2014. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019 .
^ Vorkunov, Mike (December 27, 2014). "Devils will have 'unique' head-coaching situation: Co-coaches Adam Oates and Scott Stevens" . NJ.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Billy MacMillan NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ a b "Tom McVie NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Doug Carpenter NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Jim Schoenfeld NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "John Cunniff NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Herb Brooks NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ a b c "Jacques Lemaire NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Robbie Ftorek NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ a b "Larry Robinson NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Kevin Constantine NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Pat Burns NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on September 4, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ a b "Lou Lamoriello NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Claude Julien NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on November 13, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Brent Sutter NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "John MacLean NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Peter DeBoer NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "NJD Bench NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "John Hynes NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Alain Nasreddine NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Lindy Ruff NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on September 4, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2023 .
^ "Travis Green NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024 .
^ "Sheldon Keefe NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record" . Hockey-Reference.com . Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024 .
^ Kevin Greenstein (April 3, 2007). "Lamoriello Fires Julien, Takes Over Behind Devils' Bench" . New York Sun . Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved June 16, 2007 .
^ "Larry Robinson named Devils' coach" . CBC Sports . July 14, 2005. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Larry Robinson resigns as Devils coach" . CBC Sports . December 21, 2005. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2019 .
^ "Julien out, Lamoriello in as Devils prepare for playoffs" . ESPN . Archived from the original on May 16, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2007 .
^ "Sutter quits as N.J. Devils' coach" . UPI. June 9, 2009. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2009 .
^ Tom Gulitti (June 23, 2009). "Brent Sutter named head coach of the Calgary Flames" . Bergen Record . Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2009 .
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