Which NHL coach holds the record for most career wins?

Scotty Bowman holds the record for the most career wins by an NHL head coach.

Bowman finished his NHL coaching career with 1,244 regular-season victories, the league record. He coached five franchises: the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings. His coaching career ended in 2002.

His success was not limited to regular-season wins. Bowman won a record nine Stanley Cup championships as a head coach: five with Montreal, one with Pittsburgh, and three with Detroit. He is also the only head coach to lead three different franchises to Stanley Cup titles.

The question specifies career wins, which normally means regular-season wins in NHL statistical tables. Bowman also holds the playoff coaching record, with 223 postseason victories. Mike Babcock, Glen Sather, and Don Cherry are notable NHL figures, but none surpasses Bowman’s regular-season total.