Spencer Carbery was expecting to do a television interview and ended up being surprised with the Jack Adams Award.
On Saturday, the Washington Capitals coach was announced as the winner of the award given to the top coach in the NHL as voted on by the National Broadcasters' Association. The 43-year-old was recently in studio with Capitals play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati of Monumental Sports Network, who was also in on the surprise.
"He is under a ruse that he is coming here to do an interview for Monumental Sports. I think he is going to be really, really shocked," said Carbery's wife, Casey, who was backstage along with his son, Hudson, and daughter, Vivian.
Beninati proceeded to ask Carbery about his success this season, after guiding the Capitals to a 51-22-9 record and the top spot in the Eastern Conference and second overall in the NHL standings. When the interview ended, the surprise began.
"I've been told there are a few special people who want to congratulate you on this outstanding season," Beninati said before the Jack Adams Award as well as Carbery's family entered the studio.
"I had no idea,” Carbery said, before his parents Bryan and Kate also entered. "How did everyone travel here? All corners of the continent. Washington State, South Carolina, Victoria, British Columbia, Chicago, Illinois, Green Bay, Wisconsin. For them to come to D.C. and celebrate this moment with me, I'll never forget that."
In his second year as coach, Washington improved by 11 wins and 20 points and won a Stanley Cup Playoffs series for the first time since 2018. They finished second in goals per game (3.49) in the regular season after being 28th last season (2.63), and tied for eighth in goals against per game (2.79) after tying for 16th in 2023-24 (3.07).
Washington was also fifth on the penalty kill (82.0 percent), first in comeback wins (25), and tied for first in road points (53).
"In the ultimate team sport as a coach, you hate things that direct attention toward you," Carbery said. "Our support staff and obviously our players, all those people deserve so much credit for this award."
