Ranking all 32 current NHL coaches on their ability as a player

The Edmonton Oilers hired Mike Babcock as their next head coach. Everybody has been focusing on the controversy surrounding Babcock because the NHL Players Association conducted a formal investigation before the Oilers officially hired him on June 23. After Babcock’s hiring, being the hockey nerd I am, I did something that likely no one asked for. I took it upon myself to rank all 32 current NHL coaches on their playing ability.

I’ve put my rankings into categories because there are levels to this. Some coaches had more playing experience than others. However, experience as a player doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll automatically succeed behind the bench in the NHL. Now, this article isn’t designed to call out those who aren’t great hockey players. I myself wasn’t a good hockey player. I played sledge hockey growing up due to having Cerebral Palsy, and I’ll be honest, I wasn’t very good. If I were a coach on this list, I’d be dead last.

The real life Gordon Bombay

Kicking off my list at number 32 is Jon Cooper, who frankly deserves a movie about his life, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, going back-to-back in 2020 and 2021. Before that, he explored career paths on Wall Street and in construction. Cooper attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, intending to become an NHL player agent.

Cooper is essentially Gordon Bombay from “The Mighty Ducks” in real life. He was working as a lawyer in Michigan when he made a deal with a colleague that he’d coach the colleague’s son and the Lansing Catholic High School hockey team. Cooper miraculously coached the team to the Regional championship in 1999–2000, which was his first year as coach. It was the school’s first championship in hockey since 1975.

26 years later, Cooper has won two cups and had a borderline dynasty in the early 2020s, coached Canada’s Olympic men’s team in 2026, and coached Canada to the championship at the 4 Nations Face-Off. On top of that, he’s currently the longest-tenured coach (one team) in the NHL and won the Jack Adams Award for Coach of the Year in 2025–26.

Stereotypical hockey guy

31st, André Tourigny is also in his own category; that said, many people would be comparable to Tourigny as players. He was selected in the 13th round of the 1991 QMJHL Entry Draft by the Granby Bisons. However, he never played a game in the QMJHL.

By 1998, at around 24 years old, he had already begun his extensive coaching career as an assistant coach with the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL, laying the foundation for his successful NHL and international head coaching career. He coached the Utah Mammoth to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since they relocated from Arizona.

At this point, we’re at the stage of the rankings where coaches are grouped. The next category is coaches who played major junior or college during their playing days.

College and junior careers

Dan Muse is ranked 30th on my list. Muse played ice hockey at Stonehill College in NCAA Division III, serving as an alternate captain in his senior year, and also competed in lower-tier leagues from 2001 to 2005. Still, he never reached the NHL as a player. He had 11 points in 61 career games at Stonehill College. Muse is the coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

29th on the list is Ryan Warsofsky of the San Jose Sharks. Warsofsky played collegiate hockey as a defenceman. He spent his first year at Sacred Heart University (NCAA Div. I) before transferring to Curry College (NCAA Div. III). At Curry, he became a core blueliner and served as an alternate captain during his senior season. He was a point per game at Curry in 2010–11. After graduating, he played one season of professional hockey. He split the 2011–12 card between the Turnhout White Caps in the BelNet league (Belgium/Netherlands) and the Cape Cod Bluefins of the Federal Hockey League. He is now coaching one of the most exciting young teams in the NHL.

28th on the list is Minnesota Wild Head Coach John Hynes. Hynes played three years of Division I NCAA at Boston University. However, he was only consistently in the lineup in 1995–96. Playing 37 of 40 games. In his other two years, he played one and seven games, respectively. Hynes has been a coach in the NHL for the past decade with the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild.

27th on the list is the newly hired Mike Babcock. He broke into the major junior ranks with the Saskatoon Blades in 1980–81. His best junior season came in 1982–83 with the Kelowna Wings, where he flashed considerable offensive upside, scoring 21 goals and 57 points in 68 games, along with 155 penalty minutes. Babcock won a Stanley Cup in 2008 with Detroit, so many people think that he may be the man who can help the Oilers finally get over the hump.

26th on the list is Jeff Blashill of the Chicago Blackhawks. Following his time in the USHL, Blashill moved to the NCAA Division I level to play for Ferris State University. He played four seasons for the Bulldogs, compiling a 27–36–5 record with two shutouts over 78 career games. He was the team’s Rookie of the Year award winner during the 1994–95 season. Blashill was highly recognized for his academic prowess, earning a spot on the CCHA All-Academic Team (1996–97) and winning the university’s President’s Award three years in a row for maintaining the hockey team’s highest GPA. He was inducted into the Ferris State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.

25th in our ranking is two-time Stanley Cup champion, Paul Maurice. Maurice played in the OHL for the Windsor Compuware Spitfires from 1984 to 1988. His most notable season, stat-wise, came in 1985–86, when he recorded three goals, 10 assists, and 122 penalty minutes in 56 regularseason games. The Philadelphia Flyers selected him in the 12th round of the 1985 NHL Draft.

Maurice never played in the NHL or professional minor leagues due to a severe, freak injury. During an OHL playoff game in 1987, he was struck in the eye by a deflected puck. The impact resulted in a detached retina and permanent blind spots in his vision. Maurice is somewhat of a “what if?” as a player, but he’s cemented himself as one of the best coaches in the league currently. Coaching the Florida Panthers to back-to-back Cups in 2024 and 2025. Had his injury not happened, he’d likely be much higher on my list.

Professional career

The next category is coaches who went past major junior hockey and played professional hockey in North America in some capacity. There are many professional leagues and a variety of levels in pro hockey.

24th on my list is Dallas Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. Following junior hockey, Gulutzan chose the collegiate route, playing four seasons for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the CIAU (now U Sports). Gulutzan went undrafted by the NHL but carved out a lengthy and successful seven-year professional playing career, primarily in the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) and overseas. Gulutzan became a franchise icon for the Fresno Falcons, playing six seasons with the team. He was a dominant playmaker in the league, consistently averaging a point per game. His best statistical year came in 1999–00, when he racked up 88 points in 68 games. He also helped lead Fresno to a WCHL championship in 2002.

23rd on my list is Spencer Carbery. Carbery played one season at the NCAA Division I level with Alaska-Anchorage before transferring to St. Norbert College (NCAA Division III). At St. Norbert, he became a key contributor, totaling 54 points over three seasons and helping the team reach the Division III Frozen Four. Carbery went undrafted by the NHL but put together a gritty, hard-nosed four-year professional playing career, primarily in the Central Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League. He spent the majority of his professional career in the ECHL playing for the Bakersfield Condors, Stockton Thunder, and Fresno Falcons.

22nd on my list is Jared Bednar. Bednar went undrafted after four seasons in the WHL. Bednar spent the majority of his pro career in the ECHL, primarily with the South Carolina Stingrays (and a threeseason stint with the Huntington Blizzard). He won two Kelly Cup Championships as a player with the Stingrays in 1997 and 2001. He has coached the Colorado Avalanche for the past nine seasons, making him the second-longest-tenured coach in the league, behind only Jon Cooper.

21st is Pete DeBoer. DeBoer, coincidentally, was on the same junior team as Paul Maurice in Windsor in the mid-1980s. Both of them were drafted, but DeBoer is higher on my list due to his professional hockey experience. DeBoer was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 12th round of the 1988 NHL draft; however, he would never play a game for them. After being drafted by Toronto, DeBoer moved on to the professional ranks in the International Hockey League. He played two full seasons from 1989 to 1991 for the Milwaukee Admirals, serving as a dependable, gritty forward who could contribute offensively while playing a physical game.

Cup of coffee

Starting the top 20 with Ryan Huska. Chicago drafted him in the third round of the 1993 draft. Huska was a career minor leaguer and would’ve fallen in the previous category had he not played a single game in 1997–98 for the Chicago Blackhawks. During his highly successful junior career with the Kamloops Blazers, where he won three Memorial Cups, Huska established himself as a reliable team anchor. He was an alternate captain who played a heavy checking game. As he moved into professional hockey within the IHL and AHL, his style leaned heavily into physicality. He compiled significant penalty minutes and played an enforcer-type or bottom-six depth role. While not a primary offensive driver, he provided occasional secondary scoring to supplement his defensive and physical contributions. He didn’t finish a season with a positive plus/minus throughout his professional career.

19th on my list is Peter Laviolette, who played 12 NHL games with the New York Rangers in 1988–89. Laviolette was a rugged, left-shooting defenceman who carved out a decade-long professional playing career, primarily in the AHL and IHL. He was a quintessential “glue guy” and enforcer-type defenceman. He wasn’t known for offensive flair, but rather for his toughness, willingness to block shots, and leadership, frequently serving as a team captain in the minors. He also had the honour of representing the United States at the 1988 and 1994 Olympics, and was named Captain in ’94.

Number 18 on my list is Todd McLellan, based purely on the fact that he played five NHL games, as opposed to Huska’s 1, and had more point production throughout his professional career. Drafted in the fifth round of the 1986 draft by the New York Islanders, McLellan played 107 games in the AHL and five in the NHL. McLellan’s professional career was cut short before it could fully mature. Because of severe, recurring shoulder injuries dating back to his junior days, his North American pro career lasted only two seasons. He appeared in just five games with the Islanders during the 1987–88 season, tallying two points before being forced to retire.

Number 17 is the newly hired Jim Hiller. Before turning pro, Hiller played three seasons of college hockey at Northern Michigan University, where he won an NCAA National Championship in 1991 and was named an NCAA Second-Team All-American for the 1991–92 season. Hiller played 63 NHL games over two seasons, recording eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points, along with 116 penalty minutes.

Solid NHL career

At number 16 is Sheldon Keefe. As a player, Keefe was a high-scoring, highly aggressive, and fiercely competitive winger. Long before he became an NHL head coach, Keefe was a dominant force in junior hockey, playing with a chip on his shoulder, though his professional career was ultimately cut short by injuries. Unlike many pure skill players of the late ’90s and early 2000s, Keefe paired his scoring ability with a massive dose of grit and attitude. He was a classic “rat” or agitator—the kind of player opponents hated playing against but teammates loved. Selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the 1999 NHL Draft, Keefe had to adapt his game for the pro ranks. In the NHL, he wasn’t given the top-line minutes he enjoyed in juniors, so his style shifted into a hard-nosed, energetic depth forward.

Next at 15 is Rick Bowness. As a player, Bowness was a classic 1970s- and 80s-era depth forward. A hard-nosed, high-energy winger who relied on a relentless work ethic, physical play, and a willingness to drop the gloves to stay in the NHL. Across his 173 NHL games (split between the Atlanta Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and Winnipeg Jets), he recorded 55 points but racked up 279 penalty minutes. Playing in the famously rough-and-tumble era of 1970s hockey, Bowness paired his energy with a very sharp physical edge. He didn’t back down from anyone and frequently dropped the gloves to defend his teammates. This is evident in his coaching strategy as well.

At number 14 is Ryan Craig. Craig made his living in the “dirty areas” of the ice. Standing at 6’2″ and over 200 lbs, he was an exceptional net-front presence, particularly on the power play. Playing 198 NHL games from 2006 to 2015, bouncing between the NHL and the AHL. This exact style led to his breakout success in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he scored 28 points during the 2005–06 season and followed it up with a similar stat line the following year, often capitalizing on the space created by star teammates like Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis.

Next, at lucky number 13, is Jim Montgomery. Going undrafted out of college, Montgomery carved out an 11-year professional career as a centre. He played 122 NHL games over six seasons, recording nine goals and 25 assists for 34 points. Before his professional career, Montgomery put together a legendary collegiate career at the University of Maine. He led the Black Bears to an undefeated 42–1–2 record and an NCAA National Championship in 1993, winning the NCAA Tournament MVP award. Montgomery’s biggest assets were his hockey IQ and vision. He wasn’t the biggest or fastest player on the ice, but he processed the game at an elite level. He excelled at slowing the game down. His style made him an absolute legend at the University of Maine, where he became the school’s all-time leading scorer with 301 points in 170 games.

At number 12 is Lane Lambert. Lambert was a highly energetic, versatile, and feisty forward who paired solid offensive instincts with a rugged, physical style. While he was a massive scoring star in junior hockey, he carved out an NHL career by adapting to a hard-working, dependable role player who could play both centre and on the wing. Lambert’s game in the NHL was built on a foundation of excellent skating and a relentless motor. He was an aggressive forechecker who loved to finish his checks, pressure opposing defencemen into mistakes, and force turnovers. He wasn’t afraid to play a physical, agitating game to disrupt the opponent’s rhythm. Over his 283-game NHL career, he totaled 124 points and 291 penalty minutes, reflecting his gritty edge.

Great NHL careers

At 11 is Mike Sullivan. Sullivan built a 700+ game career as the ultimate depth forward and penalty-killing specialist. He was incredibly disciplined, possessed a high motor, and understood defensive positioning perfectly, traits that clearly carried over into his highly successful coaching career. His specialty was his defensive awareness. He was a trusted, tactical player whom coaches threw over the boards for critical late-game defensive-zone starts and heavy penalty-killing duties.

Kicking off the top 10 is Joel Quenneville, who was a rugged, old-school stay-at-home defenceman. He played over 800 games in an era where defencemen were expected to clear the porch and punish opposing forwards. He wasn’t there to score, but he was a highly dependable, tough blueliner. Standing 6’1″ and playing around 195 lbs, Quenneville wasn’t the biggest enforcer on the ice, but he played a heavy, punishing game. He was known for being exceptionally strong along the boards and vicious in front of his own net.

Number nine is Manny Malhotra. Don’t let the point totals fool you; Malhotra was a seventh overall draft pick who reinvented himself as one of the absolute best defensive centres and face-off specialists of his era. At his peak, he was a master in the dot. Throughout his career, Malhotra frequently cleared 60% on draws. Malhotra was the prototypical third-line shutdown centre. He possessed an elite hockey IQ when it came to defensive positioning, tracking the opposing team’s top stars, and taking away time and space. Malhotra finished his career with 295 points in 991 NHL games.

Number eight is Lindy Ruff. Ruff was captain of the Buffalo Sabres from 1986 until 1989. He was a gritty, tough-as-nails utility player who could play defence or wing and was feared for his willingness to drop the gloves and stand up for teammates. Mind you, he played in an era that can only be described as “absolute chaos” in the 1980s. Ruff finished his career with 300 points in 691 career NHL games.

Number seven is Scott Arniel. Drafted in the second round in 1981, Arniel was a very solid, hard-working winger predominantly for the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres during the high-flying 1980s. He provided steady secondary scoring and good size on the wings. In his junior days, Arniel won back-to-back QMJHL championships in 1980 and 1981 with the Cornwall Royals. Also leading Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Juniors in 1982, with 11 points in seven games.

Number six is Travis Green. Green was a highly versatile, reliable middle-six NHL centre for 14 seasons. He had excellent vision and a couple of highly productive years with the Islanders in the mid-90s (including a 70-point season), carving out a long career as a smart, dependable forward. He had his most productive offensive season during the 1995–96 campaign with the Islanders, where he registered 70 points.

Starting off the top five is Marco Sturm. Blazing speed was Sturm’s signature weapon. The German forward was a highly reliable, consistent winger who put up six 20-goal seasons in his NHL career. He was a dangerous multi-situational player who could kill penalties and burn defenders on the rush. He was a major piece of the blockbuster November 2005 trade that sent future Hall of Famer Joe Thornton from Boston to San Jose. As a Bruin, Sturm famously scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park.

Andrew Brunette is up next, coming in just outside of the top three. He’s the first player on the list to have played over 1,000 career games in the NHL. As Phil Kessel was breaking the NHL record for most consecutive games played, Brunette had a streak of his own. He once played in 509 consecutive games from 2002 to 2009. Even playing through a torn ACL during the 2008–09 season. During that time, he played in all 82 regularseason games in five consecutive seasons. He’s now the head coach of the Nashville Predators, which is fitting considering that in October of 1998, Brunette scored the first goal in their franchise history. He retired in 2012 with 733 points in 1110 NHL games during a 16season NHL career.

Coaches who would be NHL legends

Kicking off the top three is Rick Tocchet. Tocchet played in the NHL from 1985 to 2002, winning a Stanley Cup in 1992 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tocchet was a little bit of an anomaly. He could score and was more than willing to fight, which is a lot less common in today’s NHL. Believe it or not, Tocchet has an NHL record to his name. He holds the NHL record for the most “Gordie Howe Hat-Tricks,” meaning scoring a goal, getting an assist, and getting into a fight in the same game. Tocchet did it 18 times throughout his career. Tocchet is one of five players in NHL history to have 400 goals and 2000 penalty minutes throughout their career. He joins Brendan Shanahan, Pat Verbeek, Keith Tkachuk, and Gary Roberts. It would’ve made sense if he played his prime in Philadelphia because he seems like the type of player the Flyers fan base would absolutely love.

At number 2, we have the coach of the most recent champion, Rod Brind’Amour. Brind’Amour captained the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup. Brind’Amour was known for his outstanding two-way game. He won back-to-back Frank J. Selke trophies in 2005–06 and 2006–07. The Selke is awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward. Even though his legacy is mostly centred on his impact in Carolina, Brind’Amour spent the majority of his career with the Flyers, where he scored 30 or more goals four times. From watching his highlights, Patrice Bergeron seems like an appropriate comparison

Taking the top spot on my list is Martin St. Louis, who was a Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning and has become the ideal ceiling for any player who’s considered “undersized.” St. Louis was a two-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading scorer. A Stanley Cup champion, and an Olympic Gold Medalist. St. Louis finished his NHL career with over 1,100 games and over 1,000 points and, without a doubt, is worthy of the top spot on my list.

Sometimes, when you’re a coach, you receive a sense of trust from your players if you’ve played the sport you’re coaching. Having said that, at one end of this list, we have Rod Brind’Amour, who won as a player and a coach and may be in the Hall of Fame once he decides to retire. On the other end, there’s Jon Cooper, who was a lawyer, pursued a coaching career, won back-to-back Stanley Cups, and was very close to building a dynasty. You never know where you’ll find the next great hockey coach.

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