Sport Ice hockey Most recent Bob Boughner | First award 1987–88 | |
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Given for Top coach in the Canadian Hockey League | ||
The Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award is given out annually to the coach of the year in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Originally called the CHL Coach of the Year Award, the trophy was renamed in 2003 to honour Brian Kilrea when he won his 1,000th game as the coach of the Ottawa 67's. Kilrea has won more games than any other coach in Canadian junior hockey history, two Memorial Cup championships and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003. He was named the OHL's top coach five times in his 32-year coaching career, and won the CHL Coach of the Year Award once, in 1996–97.
The winner is named from one of the recipients of the Coach of the Year Award in the CHL's three constituent leagues: the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL). Bob Boughner is the current holder of the award, having been named the CHL's coach of the year each of the past two seasons. He coached the Windsor Spitfires to a 72-point improvement over two seasons and their first OHL championship in over 20 years. Boughner and Bob Lowes are the only two coaches to capture the award twice.