# Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award

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 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.

## Winners

| Season | Winner | Team | League | Finalists |
| 1987–88 | Alain Vigneault | Hull Olympiques | QMJHL | Dick Todd (OHL), Marcel Comeau (WHL) |
| 1988–89 | Joe McDonnell | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | Ron Kennedy (WHL) |
| 1989–90 | Ken Hitchcock | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | Joe McDonnell (OHL) |
| 1990–91 | Jos Canale | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | George Burnett (OHL), Tom Renney (WHL) |
| 1991–92 | Bryan Maxwell | Spokane Chiefs | WHL | George Burnett (OHL) |
| 1992–93 | Marcel Comeau | Tacoma Rockets | WHL | Gary Agnew (OHL), Guy Chouinard (QMJHL) |
| 1993–94 | Bert Templeton | North Bay Centennials | OHL | Richard Martel (QMJHL), Lorne Molleken (WHL) |
| 1994–95 | Craig Hartsburg | Guelph Storm | OHL | Michel Therrien (QMJHL), Don Nachbaur (WHL) |
| 1995–96 | Bob Lowes | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | Brian Kilrea (OHL), Jean Pronovost (QMJHL) |
| 1996–97 | Brian Kilrea | Ottawa 67's | OHL | Clement Jodoin (QMJHL), Brent Peterson (WHL) |
| 1997–98 | Dean Clark | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | Gary Agnew (OHL), Guy Chouinard (QMJHL) |
| 1998–99 | Guy Chouinard | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | Peter DeBoer (OHL), Don Hay (WHL) |
| 1999–2000 | Peter DeBoer | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | Doris Labonté (QMJHL), Todd McLellan (WHL) |
| 2000–01 | Brent Sutter | Red Deer Rebels | WHL | Dave MacQueen (OHL), Denis Francoeur (QMJHL) |
| 2001–02 | Bob Lowes | Regina Pats | WHL | Craig Hartsburg (OHL), Real Paiement (QMJHL) |
| 2002–03 | Marc Habscheid | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | Brian Kilrea (OHL), Shawn MacKenzie (QMJHL) |
| 2003–04 | Dale Hunter | London Knights | OHL | Benoit Groulx (QMJHL), Kevin Constantine (WHL) |
| 2004–05 | Cory Clouston | Kootenay Ice | WHL | Dale Hunter (OHL), Richard Martel (QMJHL) |
| 2005–06 | Willie Desjardins | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | Dave Barr (OHL), Andre Tourigny (QMJHL) |
| 2006–07 | Clement Jodoin | Lewiston Maineiacs | QMJHL | Mike Vellucci (OHL), Cory Clouston (WHL) |
| 2007–08 | Bob Boughner | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | Pascal Vincent (QMJHL), Don Nachbaur (WHL) |
| 2008–09 | Bob Boughner | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | Danny Flynn (QMJHL), Don Hay (WHL) |
| 2009–10 | Gerard Gallant | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | Dale Hunter (OHL), Mark Holick (WHL) |
| 2010–11 | Gerard Gallant | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | Mark Reeds (OHL), Don Nachbaur (WHL) |
| 2011–12 | Jim Hiller | Tri-City Americans | WHL | Jean-Francois Houle (QMJHL), Greg Gilbert (OHL) |
| 2012–13 | Dominique Ducharme | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | Ryan McGill (WHL), Mike Vellucci (OHL) |
| 2013–14 | Eric Veilleux | Baie-Comeau Drakkar | QMJHL | Dave Lowry (WHL), D.J Smith (OHL) |
| 2014–15 | Sheldon Keefe | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | Joël Bouchard (QMJHL), John Paddock (WHL) |
| 2015–16 | Gilles Bouchard | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | Kris Knoblauch (OHL), Dave Lowry (WHL) |
| 2016–17 | Ryan McGill | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | Danny Flynn (QMJHL), John Paddock (WHL) |
| 2017–18 | Drew Bannister | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | Joël Bouchard (QMJHL), Emanuel Viveiros (WHL) |
| 2018–19 | Mario Pouliot | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | Marc Habscheid (WHL), André Tourigny (OHL) |
| 2019–20 | André Tourigny | Ottawa 67's | OHL | Stéphane Julien (QMJHL), Brad Lauer (WHL) |
| 2021–22 | Jim Hulton | Charlottetown Islanders | QMJHL | James Richmond (OHL), James Patrick (WHL) |
| 2022–23 | Dave Cameron | Ottawa 67's | OHL | Stéphane Julien (QMJHL), Brennan Sonne (WHL) |
| 2023–24 | Jean-François Grégoire | Baie-Comeau Drakkar | QMJHL | Derek Laxdal (OHL), Mark Lamb (WHL) |