LAS VEGAS — Mike Babcock occupied one set of risers Tuesday on a steamy Las Vegas afternoon. Across a vast ballroom inside the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas was Todd McLellan. Earlier, John Tortorella stood a few feet down from Babcock’s perch.
Three great coaches. Maple Leafs, Oilers and Blue Jackets, respectively. All deserving candidates for the Jack Adams Award. But one guy was missing: back-to-back Stanley Cup winner Mike Sullivan of the Penguins.
“Forget about the Cups,” Tortorella told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I thought the way [Sullivan] handled his team, with all the injuries they went through … the different lineups … I don’t get it.