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Hall of Famers

Hall of Famer

JACK ADAMS

Inducted in 1975

Member Details

Date of Birth: June 14, 1896
Place of Birth: Fort William, Ontario
Date of Passing: May 1, 1968
Sport: Ice Hockey
Member Category: Builder

Career Highlights

1918

Stanley Cup - Toronto Arenas

1920

Vancouver Millionaires, won Pacific Coast League scoring title

1927

Stanley Cup - Ottawa Senators

1927-62

Coach and general manager for Detroit Red Wings (seven Stanley Cups and twelve NHL championships)

1959

Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame

Hall of Famer JACK ADAMS
Sport

Story

Jack Adams (Jolly Jack) didn't take a three-pronged approach to the game of hockey. He lived it. Between 1911 and 1927, Adams played for the Toronto Arenas, Vancouver Millionaires, Toronto St. Patricks and Ottawa Senators. He won Stanley Cups with the Toronto Arenas and Ottawa Senators, (in 1918 and 1927 respectively), and won the Pacific Coast League scoring title in 1920, playing for Vancouver. He left this outstanding career to begin another that would span thirty-five years as coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. Under his management, the Wings won seven Stanley Cups and twelve National Hockey League Championships. Adams was well known for his fearlessness on the ice, loyalty as a coach, and ruthlessness as a manager. His most famous controversy was during the 1942 Stanley Cup finals, during which he was suspended for the rest of the season for hitting a referee in a melée ensuing from reaction to the penalties called against two of his players. Adams is an inductee in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Hockey Hall of Fame and is the only man to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in three categories: player; coach; and general manager. However, his greatest personal satisfaction was the development of one of hockey's greatest all-time stars, Gordie Howe. Living hockey right to the end, he was President of the Central Pro League at the time of his death.