Each team in the National Hockey League (NHL) is led by a head coach who takes the responsibility of directing games, managing practices, and making strategic plays and helping the team win. Aside from the regular season, the Stanley Cup holds significant value for the coaches as it gives them widespread acclaim and respect.
Moreover, NHL coaches are the driving force behind their players' actions on the ice. Furthermore, these coaches are seasoned veterans of the sport with years of game experience and make important decisions for the team, such as line changes and tactical adjustments to improve the game.
Also Read: Has any team won 3 consecutive Stanley Cups
Coaches with multiple Stanley Cup Appearances
The legendary Dick Irvin holds the record of most Stanley Cup appearances, with 16 appearances throughout his coaching career. Moreover, he ended up on the winning side just four times. This included three wins with the Montreal Canadiens and a sole victory with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also earned around 600 regular-season wins.
Scotty Bowman, another Canadien coach, holds the record for the second most appearances, with 13 appearances throughout his coaching career. Notably, he holds the record of 1,244 regular-season wins and 223 playoff victories in NHL history, alongside nine Stanley Cups in just 13 Stanley Cup final appearances.
The table below gives a glimpse into coaches with multiple Stanley Cup appearances, as of April 2025 (via NHL):
| Rank | Head Coach | Seasons Coached | Appearances | Wins |
| 1 | Dick Irvin | 24 | 16 | 4 |
| 2 | Scotty Bowman | 28 | 13 | 9 |
| 3 | Toe Blake | 13 | 9 | 8 |
| 4 | Lester Patrick | 14 | 7 | 3 |
| 5 | Jack Adams | 15 | 7 | 3 |
| 6 | Punch Imlach | 11 | 6 | 4 |
| 7 | Hap Day | 9 | 5 | 5 |
| 8 | Al Arbour | 16 | 5 | 4 |
| 9 | Glen Sather | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| 10 | Art Ross | 12 | 5 | 2 |
| 11 | Tommy Ivan | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| 12 | Sid Abel | 9 | 4 | - |
| 13 | Fred Shero | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| 14 | Mike Keenan | 13 | 4 | 1 |
| 15 | Jon Cooper | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 16 | Mike Babcock | 14 | 3 | 1 |
| 17 | Frank Patrick | 7 | 3 | - |
| 18 | Billy Reay | 12 | 3 | - |
| 19 | Darryl Sutter | 15 | 3 | 2 |
| 20 | Joel Quenneville | 20 | 3 | 3 |
| 21 | Pete Green | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| 22 | Peter Laviolette | 14 | 3 | 1 |
| 23 | Peter DeBoer | 9 | 2 | - |
| 24 | Claude Julien | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 25 | Leo Dandurand | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | Pete Muldoon | 3 | 2 | - |
| 27 | Milt Schmidt | 4 | 2 | - |
| 28 | Alain Vigneault | 12 | 2 | - |
| 29 | Jimmy Skinner | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 30 | Don Cherry | 5 | 2 | - |
| 31 | Ken Hitchcock | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 32 | Mike Sullivan | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 33 | Lynn Patrick | 5 | 2 | - |
| 34 | Rudy Pilous | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 35 | Pat Burns | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 36 | Tommy Gorman | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 37 | Eddie Gerard | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 38 | Pat Quinn | 15 | 2 | - |
| 39 | Paul Maurice | 11 | 2 | - |
| 40 | Bruce Cassidy | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 41 | Bob Johnson | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 42 | Larry Robinson | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 43 | Cecil Hart | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 44 | Newsy Lalonde | 5 | 1 | - |
| 45 | Paul Thompson | 4 | 1 | - |
| 46 | Bep Guidolin | 2 | 1 | - |
| 47 | Joe Primeau | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 48 | Terry Crisp | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 49 | Ken McKenzie | 1 | 1 | - |
| 50 | Terry O'Reilly | 3 | 1 | - |
Coaches with the most Stanley Cups
Scotty Bowman holds the record of winning the most Stanley Cups, as of April 2025, with nine Stanley Cup victories over 28 seasons. Out of nine championships, he won five with the Montreal Canadiens, three with the Detroit Red Wings, and one with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Following him closely is Toe Blake with eight championships over 13 seasons. These two coaches revolutionised the National Hockey League dramatically with their coaching standards.
The table below gives a glimpse into coaches with the most Stanley Cup victories, as of April 2025 (via NHL) :
| Rank | Head Coach | Stanley Cups | Seasons |
| 1 | Scotty Bowman | 9 | 1975-76 to 2001-02 |
| 2 | Toe Blake | 8 | 1955-56 to 1967-68 |
| 3 | Hap Day | 5 | 1946-47 to 1948-49 |
| 4 | Al Arbour | 4 | 1979-80 to 1982-83 |
| 5 | Glen Sather | 4 | 1983-84 to 1987-88 |
| 6 | Punch Imlach | 4 | 1961-62 to 1963-64 |
| 7 | Dick Irvin | 4 | 1932 to 1953 |
| 8 | Tommy Ivan | 3 | 1950 to 1954 |
| 9 | Lester Patrick | 3 | 1925, 1928, 1933 |
| 10 | Jack Adams | 3 | 1935-36 to 1942-43 |
| 11 | Joel Quenneville | 3 | 2010, 2013, 2015 |
| 12 | Pete Green | 3 | 1919-20 to 1923-24 |
| 13 | Tommy Gorman | 2 | 1933-34 to 1934-35 |
| 14 | Art Ross | 2 | 1929, 1939 |
| 15 | Mike Sullivan | 2 | 2015-16 to 2016-17 |
| 16 | Fred Shero | 2 | 1973-74 to 1974-75 |
| 17 | Cecil Hart | 2 | 1929-30 to 1930-31 |
| 18 | Darryl Sutter | 2 | 2012, 2014 |
| 19 | Jon Cooper | 2 | 2019-20 to 2020-21 |
FAQ's On NHL Coaches
A. Scotty Bowman has the most Stanley Cups to his name, with nine Stanley Cup Championships in thirteen appearances.
A. Toe Blake won three Stanley Cups as a player with the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Maroons and later went on to win eight more Stanley Cups as the head coach of the Canadiens.
A. Dick Irvin holds the record of most Stanley Cup appearances at 16. Moreover, he ended up winning four championships.
A. None have achieved this milestone yet.
