| Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award | |
| Sport: | Ice hockey |
| Givenfor: | Top coach in the Canadian Hockey League |
| First: | 1987–88 |
| Mostrecent: | Jim Hulton (2021–22) |
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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]
The winner is named from one of the recipients of the Coach of the Year Award in the CHL's three constituent leagues: the Matt Leyden Trophy (Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year), the Ron Lapointe Trophy (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Coach of the Year), or the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (Western Hockey League Coach of the Year). Bob Lowes, Bob Boughner and Gerard Gallant are the only coaches to capture the award twice.[4]
| Season | Winner[5] | Team | League | class=unsortable | Finalists[6] [7] [8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | QMJHL | Dick Todd (OHL), Marcel Comeau (WHL) | |||
| 1988–89 | OHL | Ron Kennedy (WHL) | |||
| 1989–90 | WHL | Joe McDonnell (OHL) | |||
| 1990–91 | QMJHL | George Burnett (OHL), Tom Renney (WHL) | |||
| 1991–92 | WHL | George Burnett (OHL) | |||
| 1992–93 | WHL | Gary Agnew (OHL), Guy Chouinard (QMJHL) | |||
| 1993–94 | OHL | Richard Martel (QMJHL), Lorne Molleken (WHL) | |||
| 1994–95 | OHL | Michel Therrien (QMJHL), Don Nachbaur (WHL) | |||
| 1995–96 | WHL | Brian Kilrea (OHL), Jean Pronovost (QMJHL) | |||
| 1996–97 | OHL | Clement Jodoin (QMJHL), Brent Peterson (WHL) | |||
| 1997–98 | WHL | Gary Agnew (OHL), Guy Chouinard (QMJHL) | |||
| 1998–99 | QMJHL | Peter DeBoer (OHL), Don Hay (WHL) | |||
| 1999–2000 | OHL | Doris Labonté (QMJHL), Todd McLellan (WHL) | |||
| 2000–01 | WHL | Dave MacQueen (OHL), Denis Francoeur (QMJHL) | |||
| 2001–02 | WHL | Craig Hartsburg (OHL), Real Paiement (QMJHL) | |||
| 2002–03 | WHL | Brian Kilrea (OHL), Shawn MacKenzie (QMJHL) | |||
| 2003–04 | OHL | Benoit Groulx (QMJHL), Kevin Constantine (WHL) | |||
| 2004–05 | WHL | Dale Hunter (OHL), Richard Martel (QMJHL) | |||
| 2005–06 | WHL | Dave Barr (OHL), Andre Tourigny (QMJHL) | |||
| 2006–07 | QMJHL | Mike Vellucci (OHL), Cory Clouston (WHL) | |||
| 2007–08 | OHL | Pascal Vincent (QMJHL), Don Nachbaur (WHL) | |||
| 2008–09 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | Danny Flynn (QMJHL), Don Hay (WHL) | ||
| 2009–10 | QMJHL | Dale Hunter (OHL), Mark Holick (WHL) | |||
| 2010–11 | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | Mark Reeds (OHL), Don Nachbaur (WHL) | ||
| 2011–12 | WHL | Jean-Francois Houle (QMJHL), Greg Gilbert (OHL) | |||
| 2012–13 | QMJHL | Ryan McGill (WHL), Mike Vellucci (OHL) | |||
| 2013–14 | QMJHL | Dave Lowry (WHL), D.J Smith (OHL) | |||
| 2014–15 | OHL | Joël Bouchard (QMJHL), John Paddock (WHL) | |||
| 2015–16 | QMJHL | Kris Knoblauch (OHL), Dave Lowry (WHL) | |||
| 2016–17 | OHL | Danny Flynn (QMJHL), John Paddock (WHL) | |||
| 2017–18 | OHL | Joël Bouchard (QMJHL), Emanuel Viveiros (WHL) | |||
| 2018–19 | QMJHL | Marc Habscheid (WHL), André Tourigny (OHL) | |||
| 2019–20 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | Stéphane Julien (QMJHL), Brad Lauer (WHL) | ||
| 2021–22 | QMJHL | James Richmond (OHL), James Patrick (WHL) | |||
| 2022–23 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | Stéphane Julien (QMJHL), Brennan Sonne (WHL) | ||
| 2023–24 | QMJHL | Derek Laxdal (OHL), Mark Lamb (WHL) |