Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche, Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins and Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights have been named Jack Adams Award finalists.

After the Avalanche finished with the worst full-season record since the adoption of the shootout in his first year behind the bench, Bednar helped Colorado improve by 47 points in the standings and jump into a wild-card playoff spot.

In Cassidy's first full campaign as Boston's head coach and with a roster relying heavily on first-year players, the Bruins finished with 112 points - good for fourth overall in the league.

Gallant guided the expansion Golden Knights to a 51-24-7 record and first-place finish in the Pacific Division (fourth overall) as Vegas defied all expectations in its inaugural season.

This award is presented annually to the NHL coach deemed to have contributed the most to his team's success, as determined by members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association.

The NHL Awards will be handed out June 20 in Las Vegas.