Mar 21, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin presents defensemen Jared Spurgeon (46) with a silver stick in honor of his 1000 career NHL games before a tilt against the Dallas Stars at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

All 3 NHL GM of the Year Finalists Still Alive in Stanley Cup Hunt

May 13, 2026, 8:29 PM CUT

The race for the NHL’s GM of the Year Award has become even more interesting as all three finalists are still alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Unlike many awards that focus on players and coaches, this award honors front-office leaders who build strong teams through smart trades, important signings, and long-term planning.

In this piece, we will see who the three finalists are for the award this season.

Three Finalists for This Year’s GM of the Year Award

Before we begin, remember that all three finalists’ teams are still playing in the playoffs.

Bill Guerin (Minnesota Wild)

Bill Guerin is a finalist for the first time. He first played in the NHL and won 2 Stanley Cups. After retirement, he worked in the Pittsburgh Penguins front office. In 2019, he became GM of the Minnesota Wild.

Dec 13, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild general manger Bill Guerin addresses the media about acquiring defensemen Quinn Hughes via trade from the Vancouver Canucks before a game against the Ottawa Senators at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Some of his big moves include a major trade in December to bring Quinn Hughes from Vancouver. He also gave a long-term contract to Kirill Kaprizov.

Adding players like Vladimir Tarasenko, Nico Sturm, Bobby Brink, Nick Foligno, and Jeff Petry helps the team build strong combinations. The Wild finished the season strong with 104 points.

Now the Wild and the Colorado Avalanche are playing against each other in the second round of the playoffs.

Chris MacFarland (Colorado Avalanche)

MacFarland is also a first-time finalist. He started his career in the Columbus Blue Jackets front office in 1999–2000. Later, he worked as an assistant GM with the Colorado Avalanche. He was part of the 2022 Stanley Cup-winning management group and became GM after the win.

This season, the Avalanche earned a league-best 121 points and won the Presidents’ Trophy. The team kept Brock Nelson, signed veteran defenseman Brent Burns, and finished as the best team in both offense and defense.

Pat Verbeek (Anaheim Ducks)

Just like the other two, Pat Verbeek is also in the final list for the first time. He had a long NHL playing career and is the only player in NHL history with 500 goals and 2500 penalty minutes.

He started his front-office career with the Detroit Red Wings under Steve Yzerman. In 2022, he became GM of the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks' GM helped the Ducks reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The team scored a franchise-record 265 goals.

He hired coach Joel Quenneville and added veterans like Mikael Granlund, Chris Kreider, and John Carlson. Pat also balanced the young core with experienced players.

So these are the finalists for this year’s GM of the Year award. The award is named after former Leafs GM Jim Gregory, and has been given every year since the 2009-10 season.

Voting is done by the NHL’s 32 general managers, league executives, and media members together. Jim Nill had won this award for the last three years in a row, but this time he did not even make it to the finalist list.

Let’s see who will win the award this time around. What are your predictions? Comment down below.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Souvik Roy