May 1, 1968

John James (Jack) Adams

May 1, 1968
Detroit Red Wings
2x Stanley Cup Champion (player)
Red Wings Coach (1927 - 1947)
3x Stanley Cup Champion (coach)
Red Wings GM (1927 - 1963)
4x Stanley Cup Champion (GM)
Hockey Hall of Fame

John James (Jack) Adams

Detroit Red Wings Hockey Coach (1927 – 1947)
Detroit Red Wings General Manager (1927 - 1963)

Jack Adams was born in Fort William, Ontario and played hockey with three different franchises during his ten-season NHL career winning two Stanley Cup Championships in 1918 and 1927. Adams then became coach and General Manager (GM) of the Detroit franchise of the NHL then known as the Falcons, changed to the Cougars prior to becoming the Red Wings in the 1932 season. He would coach the Red Wings for 21 seasons winning three Stanley Cup championships in 1936, 1937 and 1943. Adams stayed on as GM through the 1963 season and won four additional Stanley Cups. He is the only person to have won Stanley Cups as a player, coach and GM. Named in his honor, the Jack Adams Award was introduced in 1974 and is awarded annually to the most outstanding coach in the NHL. Jack Adams was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1959 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1955. He passed away on May 1, 1968 at 73 years of age.