Success Happy - Who has been the best ex-player to become a successful NHL head coach?

Who has been the best ex-player to become a successful NHL head coach?

Wayne Gretzky has yet to find his groove as a NHL head coach. While he hasn't quite had the line-up he desires, in due time things will come together...right? I ask all you fellow hockey fans this, because I wonder, who has been the best ex-player (NHL level, of course) to become a successful NHL head coach? There are many candidates out there, so fire away! It doesn't have to mean good ex-player. The old adage is that "an ex-player makes a good coach because they can relate better to their players and their daily struggles, life, etc."

Public Comments

well, I dont know if you mean that they had to be both a good player AND a good coach, but I like Lindy Ruff's record...he's done a good job with that team and I think they benefit from his leadership
Scotty Bowman. You didn't specify if they had to have played in the NHL. He played in the Quebec Junior League. Edit: my bad. I didn't see where you said NHL level of course until I read JKNation's answer. Sorry. So I say Daryl Sutter.
Right now, would have to say Lindy Ruff. That being said, every coach in the NHL was once a player.
I have always been high on the Sutter boys. Al Arbour is another good one. Kind of an off question because most guys played before they coached. Glen Sather played in the WHL and could be considered. I don't consider Bowman because he never played professionally.
"who has been the best ex-player (NHL level, of course)" People seem to be overlooking the fact that he actually specified that these coaches had to play in the NHL before coaching. I say Larry Robinson. Won a Cup with the Devils, due in large part to "The Speech" after game 4 of the East Finals. Devils went on to win their next three games and then won the Cup in six. He also took the Devils to the Finals the very next year. #24 on the list of greatest hockey players compiled by The Hockey News, a million Cups, Hall of Famer,...I know we are looking at all ex-NHL players, but I thought it was worth mentioning that Robinson is one of the all-time greats. Another thing to add to his 2000 Cup run...he was hired just eight days before the season ended and still managed to turn the skidding Devils around in time for the playoffs. A truly remarkable piece of coaching.
My personal fav. is Lindy Ruff. He wasn't the greatest player, but he has had one hell of a run behind the bench. Longest active coach in the NHL, best record league wide the past two season combined. my personal fav. anyway. to each their own.
Jacques Lemaire and Larry Robinson; both had great careers with the Habs.
It has got to be one of the best two coaches in NHL history, Hector "Toe" Blake (the other being Scotty Bowman but he only played juniors before getting that plate in his head). Toe Blake played for the Canadians on the "Punch Line" with Elmer Lach and Maurice Richard, averaging nearly a point a game, until he double fractured his ankle in 1948. During his career, he won both the Art Ross Trophy as a scoring champion and the Hart Trophy for league MVP. As team captain, he lead the Canadians to Stanley Cups in 1944 and 1946. He's listed as 66th on the top 100 Greatest Hockey Players by The Hockey News. After 8 years, he came back to the Canadians to coach them. During his 13 years as coach, he won 8 Stanley Cups (which wasn't surpassed until Scotty Bowman won his 9th in 2002).
Larry Robinson. He played for Montreal, and probably won a Cup or two with them. Went on to coach the New Jersey Devils and won a Cup there too.
I would say gretzky but he is not so seccsesful .
Which era? There have been many successful ex-players coaching. Toe Blake, Al Arbour, Ron Wilson, Pat Quinn, Milt Schmidt, Any of the Patrick Family, The Sutters.. I could go on. Scotty Bowman comes to mind, but he was injured in the senior league and Brian Kilrea coaches OHL and these two are actually the best coaches of all time, The debate rages on.