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Jon Cooper (ice hockey)

Jonathan D. Cooper[1] (born August 23, 1967) is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey coach who is the head coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Cooper won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 and also reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015 and 2022 as the Lightning head coach, and as of the 2023–24 season, is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.[2][3]

Jon Cooper
Cooper at the White House in April 2022
Born (1967-08-23) August 23, 1967 (age 57)
Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Current NHL coach Tampa Bay Lightning
Coaching career 2001–present

Early life

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Cooper was born in Prince George, British Columbia. He played high school hockey at Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1989. Despite his prior lacrosse experience being that of the box variety, he was a field lacrosse letterman in each of the first four years of John Danowski's tenure as the varsity program's head coach. An attackman who eventually transitioned into a midfielder,[4] Cooper scored 74 goals with 25 assists for 99 points and was a member of East Coast Conference championship teams as a junior and senior. He also played one year of club hockey during his time at Hofstra.[5]

He graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.[6] Cooper practiced law for five years and was a public defender off and on for two years while also maintaining his private practice. Cooper started playing hockey again while attending law school, ultimately leading to his first experience coaching hockey at Lansing Catholic High School.[7]

Coaching career

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Junior teams

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Cooper began his coaching career in 1999–2000 with Lansing Catholic High School and led the team to its first regional hockey championship in 25 years. The following season (2000–01) he served as an assistant with the Capital Centre Pride of the North American Hockey League, the only time during his coaching career Cooper was an assistant. During the 2001–02 season, Cooper was the head coach of the Metro Jets in the North American 3 Hockey League and led the Jets to the Silver Cup – the USA Hockey National Junior B Championship.[8] In 2002–03, Cooper coached the Honeybaked Midget Major AAA team.

In 2003, Cooper returned to the North American Hockey League (NAHL) to coach the expansion Texarkana Bandits. In 2004–05 he was named the NAHL Coach of the Year after leading the Bandits to a 36-15-5 record. Cooper continued with the Bandits franchise when it relocated to St. Louis in 2006–07. During the 2006–07 season, the Bandits captured the Robertson Cup as league champion. The following season the Bandits would once again capture the Robertson Cup. Additionally, Cooper won his second NAHL Coach of the Year that season. Cooper spent a total of five seasons coaching in the NAHL before moving on to coach the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League.[9] In his five seasons coaching the Bandits franchise in the NAHL, Cooper compiled an overall record of 198–74–18.

Cooper was the coach of the United States Hockey League (USHL)'s Green Bay Gamblers starting in 2008. He led the team in 2008–09 and 2009–10 to a combined record of 84–27–9.[10] In 2010, the team won the Clark Cup for the League's championship and Cooper was named USHL Coach of the Year.[10] He is the only coach to win a championship in all three tiers of junior hockey in the United States.

AHL years

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In 2010, Cooper was hired by the Tampa Bay Lightning to coach the Norfolk Admirals, the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. During the 2011–12 season, the Admirals won the Calder Cup as the AHL's champions.[11] The Admirals also set a North American professional sports record for the longest regular season winning streak at 28 games in a row.[12][13] Additionally, Cooper won the 2012 Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's most outstanding head coach.[6]

For the 2012–13 season, Cooper became the head coach of the Syracuse Crunch after the Lightning changed their AHL affiliation.[14] In 65 games with the Crunch, Cooper led the team to a 39–18–3–5 record, the best in the AHL at the time of his promotion.[15]

Tampa Bay Lightning

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On March 25, 2013, towards the end of the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, following the dismissal of head coach Guy Boucher,[16] the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that Cooper would become head coach.[17]

After leading the Lightning to their best season in franchise history in points (108) and wins (50) in 2014–15, Cooper coached the Tampa Bay Lightning to their second Prince of Wales Trophy as the Eastern Conference champion.[18] The Lightning lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals.[19][20]

On March 22, 2016, Cooper recorded his 143rd win as the Lightning's head coach. The win moved Cooper past Terry Crisp for second all-time in wins in franchise history.[21] In the 2016 playoffs, Cooper coached the Lightning to another deep playoff run by defeating the Detroit Red Wings in five games in the first round for the second consecutive time and the New York Islanders and then losing in seven games to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the conference finals, one win short from back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals.

On November 8, 2017, Cooper recorded his 200th career win as head coach of the Lightning. Cooper joined John Tortorella as the only coaches in franchise history to record 200 wins.[22][23] On January 7, 2018, Cooper was named as head coach of the Atlantic Division for the 63rd National Hockey League All-Star Game, which was played at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The selection was because the Lightning were the team with the highest points percentage in the Atlantic Division.[24] On March 30, Cooper recorded his 240th career NHL win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.[25] The win moved Cooper past John Tortorella for most wins in franchise history.[26] After securing the top seed in the East for the 2017–18 season, Cooper and the Lightning would go on another lengthy playoff run by defeating the New Jersey Devils in the first round in five games and defeating the Boston Bruins in five games before losing in seven games to the Washington Capitals in the conference finals, one win short from the Stanley Cup Finals.

On January 5, 2019, Cooper was named to the 2019 National Hockey League All-Star Game.[27] This was Cooper's second consecutive selection to the NHL All-Star game.[28] On March 18, Cooper coached the Lightning to their first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history with a victory over the visiting Arizona Coyotes at Amalie Arena.[29] On March 21, Cooper recorded his 300th career NHL win in a 6–3 Lightning win over the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena.[30] On March 26, Cooper signed a multi-year contract extension to remain as the head coach of the Lightning.[31] On April 1, Cooper coached the Lightning to their 60th win of the season. With the win, the Lightning became only the 3rd team in NHL history to reach the mark and Cooper became the second coach in NHL history to coach a team to 60 wins, joining Scotty Bowman.[32][33] Tampa Bay would go on to win 62 games during the 2018–19 season, tying the 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings for the most wins in a season in NHL history. The Lightning in the 2019 playoffs were swept in the first round by the eighth seeded Columbus Blue Jackets, making them the first team to win the Presidents' Trophy and not win a single postseason game in the same year.

On September 28, 2020, Cooper led the Lightning to franchise's second Stanley Cup, when they beat the Dallas Stars in six games in the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals. Cooper stated after the win that the team drew inspiration from the Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball program. Similar to the Lightning's playoff defeat in 2019, top-seeded Virginia was defeated in their opening game by a 16th seed in the 2018 national tournament, the first such occurrence of a 16 vs. 1 upset in the history of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. One year later, Virginia won the national championship.[34]

On May 30, 2021, Cooper coached the Lightning to a 2–1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in his 100th career NHL playoff game.[35][36] On July 7, Cooper led the reigning champions to the Lightning's third Stanley Cup when they beat the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Cooper was the first coach to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since Mike Sullivan accomplished this feat with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning in 2016 and 2017.

On December 9, 2021, Cooper recorded his 400th career win in a victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.[37] Cooper set the record for the fewest games coached to reach 400 wins in NHL history, which came in his 659th game.[38] On April 1, 2022, Cooper coached in his 700th career NHL game. His 426 wins at the time of reaching the milestone are the most in NHL history among head coaches through their first 700 games.[39] Cooper and the Lightning eventually reached a third consecutive Stanley Cup Finals (fourth altogether) and would lose in six games to the Colorado Avalanche.

On January 9, 2024, Cooper recorded his 500th NHL win in a 3–2 OT win over the Los Angeles Kings.[40]

International

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On November 13, 2015, Team North America general manager, Peter Chiarelli, named Cooper as an assistant coach for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey under Team North America head coach Todd McLellan.[41]

On April 11, 2017, Hockey Canada named Cooper as the head coach of Canada's men's national ice hockey team for the 2017 IIHF World Championship tournament. Cooper was joined by assistant coaches Gerard Gallant, Dave Hakstol, and Dave King.[42] On May 21, 2017, Cooper coached Team Canada to a silver medal. Team Canada lost to Team Sweden 2–1 in a shootout.[43]

On August 9, 2021, Cooper was named head coach of Team Canada for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing[44] but ultimately did not participate due to the NHL pulling out of the competition because of the omicron variant in the COVID-19 pandemic.[45]

On June 25, 2024, Cooper was named the head coach of Team Canada for both the 2026 Winter Olympics and the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off.[46]

Personal life

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Cooper is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.[47] Cooper's mother, Christine was a native of San Francisco, California, while his father, Robert was a native of Prince George.[7] Growing up, Cooper's family were fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs.[48] Cooper and his wife Jessie have twin daughters and a son.[6]

On September 16, 2016, the creation of the annual Coop's Catch for Kids charity fishing tournament was announced in partnership with the V Foundation. The tournament's purpose is for benefiting pediatric cancer research at Moffitt Cancer Center and All Children's Hospital. Each year, anglers are treated to an exciting day of fishing and fundraising alongside Lightning players and coaches. The annual catch-and-release inshore grand slam tournament pairs Lightning celebrities on a guided boat with two participants. The inaugural event was held on October 11, 2016, and to date has raised over $750,000.[49]

Head coaching record

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NHL

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
G W L OTL Pts Finish W L Win% Result
TBL 2012–13* 16 5 8 3 (13) 4th in Southeast — — — Missed playoffs
TBL 2013–14 82 46 27 9 101 2nd in Atlantic 0 4 .000 Lost in first round (MTL)
TBL 2014–15 82 50 24 8 108 2nd in Atlantic 14 12 .538 Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (CHI)
TBL 2015–16 82 46 31 5 97 2nd in Atlantic 11 6 .647 Lost in conference finals (PIT)
TBL 2016–17 82 42 30 10 94 5th in Atlantic — — — Missed playoffs
TBL 2017–18 82 54 23 5 113 1st in Atlantic 11 6 .647 Lost in conference finals (WSH)
TBL 2018–19 82 62 16 4 128 1st in Atlantic 0 4 .000 Lost in first round (CBJ)
TBL 2019–20 70 43 21 6 92 2nd in Atlantic 18 7 .720 Won Stanley Cup (DAL)
TBL 2020–21 56 36 17 3 75 3rd in Central 16 7 .696 Won Stanley Cup (MTL)
TBL 2021–22 82 51 23 8 110 3rd in Atlantic 14 9 .609 Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (COL)
TBL 2022–23 82 46 30 6 98 3rd in Atlantic 2 4 .333 Lost in first round (TOR)
TBL 2023–24 82 45 29 8 98 4th in Atlantic 1 4 .200 Lost in first round (FLA)
Total 879 525 279 75     87 63 .580 10 playoff appearances
2 Stanley Cup titles

* – mid-season replacement

AHL

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
G W L OTL Pts Finish W L Win% Result
NOR 2010–11 80 39 26 15 93 4th in East Division 2 4 .333 Lost in first round (WBS)
NOR 2011–12 76 55 18 3 113 1st in East Division 15 3 .833 Won Calder Cup (TOR)
SYR 2012–13* 65 39 18 8 86 1st in East Division — — — Promoted to Tampa Bay
Total 221 133 62 26     17 7 .708 2 playoff appearances
1 Calder Cup title

* – promoted to Tampa Bay on March 25, 2013[15]

Coaching honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Jonathan D. Cooper Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com". martindale.com. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "Lightning coach Jon Cooper apologizes for inappropriate comment about putting skirts on goalies". AP News. May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "Lightning's Jon Cooper now atop another NHL list". Tampa Bay Times. November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  4. ^ Lorenzo, Stephen. "From Hofstra to Tampa Bay Lightning coach: Jon Cooper's road to the NHL," New York Daily News, Friday, May 15, 2015.
  5. ^ Gorchov, Stephen. "Hofstra Alumnus Jon Cooper Leads Tampa Bay Lightning Into NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals," Hofstra University Athletics, Friday, May 15, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Administration". Tampa Bay Lightning. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Satkowiak, Ryan (October 2013). "The Road Less Traveled: Jon Cooper's Rise Up NHL Coaching Ranks". USA Hockey Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  8. ^ "Former Jets coach Jon Cooper named head coach of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning". nhl.com. North American 3 Hockey League. March 3, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  9. ^ "Former Jets coach Jon Cooper named head coach of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning". nhl.com. North American 3 Hockey League. March 3, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Leahy, Sean (March 26, 2013). "Who the heck is Jon Cooper, new Tampa Bay Lightning head coach". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  11. ^ "Norfolk Admirals win Calder Cup". ESPN.com. ESPN. June 9, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  12. ^ Pupello, Peter (March 21, 2012). "Unfavorable circumstances make Norfolk Admirals' record-setting win streak even more remarkable". Tampa Bay Lightning. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  13. ^ Stubits, Brian (April 16, 2012). "AHL's Norfolk Admirals close regular season with 28 straight wins". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  14. ^ "Lightning Enter Into Affiliation Agreement With AHL's Syracuse Crunch". NHL.com. Tampa Bay Lightning. June 14, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Lightning hire Jon Cooper as coach". ESPN.com. Tampa Bay Lightning. March 25, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  16. ^ "Lightning Release Guy Boucher of Coaching Duties". Tampa Bay Lightning. March 24, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  17. ^ "Lightning name Jon Cooper as head coach". Tampa Bay Lightning. March 25, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  18. ^ "Prince of Wales Trophy". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  19. ^ "Blackhawks claim third Stanley Cup in six seasons with shutout of Lightning – Recap". ESPN Enterprises, Inc. June 16, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  20. ^ Joe Smith (June 16, 2015). "Future Looks Bright for Lightning". theledger.com. The Ledger. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  21. ^ Long, Corey (March 22, 2016). "Lightning tied for first after win against Red Wings". NHl.com. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  22. ^ Gilmore, Eric (November 9, 2017). "Top line shines for Lightning against Sharks". NHL.com. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  23. ^ @TBLightning (November 10, 2017). "Wednesday's win in San Jose clocked in as No. 200 for Coach Cooper in his NHL tenure, second only to John Tortorella (239) in Lightning history" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. ^ "Jon Cooper named Atlantic Division coach for 2018 NHL All-Star Game". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  25. ^ Satriano, David (March 30, 2018). "Lightning regain first in Atlantic, defeat Rangers". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L. P. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  26. ^ @BBurnsNHL (March 30, 2018). "Jon Cooper recorded 240th career NHL win and passed John Tortorella (239) for most coaching wins in Lightning franchise history" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  27. ^ a b "Jon Cooper named Atlantic Division coach at 2019 NHL All-Star Game". NHL.com. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  28. ^ @BBurnsNHL (January 5, 2019). "2nd year in a row Cooper will be behind the Atlantic bench" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  29. ^ Blackburn, Pete (March 18, 2019). "Tampa Bay Lightning are your 2018–2019 Presidents' Trophy winners ... obviously". CBCSports.com. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  30. ^ @TBLightning (March 21, 2019). "500 games, 300 wins. Congrats, Coach!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  31. ^ "Cooper signs contract to remain Lightning coach". NHL.com. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  32. ^ "Lightning top Sens, become 3rd team to reach 60-win mark". apnews.com. April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  33. ^ @BBurnsNHL (April 1, 2019). "Here are the coaches with that have had 60-win seasons in the NHL: 1) Scotty Bowman (twice) 2) Jon Cooper" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  34. ^ Chris Bumbaca (September 29, 2020). "Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper says team used Virginia Cavaliers' turnaround for inspiration". USA Today. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  35. ^ Encina, Eduardo A. (May 30, 2021). "Lightning's Jon Cooper one of quickest coaches to 100 postseason games". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  36. ^ Alexander, Chip (May 30, 2021). "Hurricanes, Lightning battle to the final seconds in Game 1 of the second round". News & Observer. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  37. ^ Alexander, Chip (December 9, 2021). "Lightning coach Jon Cooper fastest to 400 NHL wins". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  38. ^ @BBurnsNHL (December 9, 2021). "Jon Cooper has won his 400th game as a NHL head coach. He's the fastest coach in League history to reach 400 wins" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. ^ Encina, Eduardo (April 1, 2022). "Emotional night for Tyler Johnson as he returns to Tampa for first time as an opponent". Tampa Bay Times.
  40. ^ Gamblers Hockey (January 10, 2024). "Former Gamblers Head Coach Jon Cooper Wins 500th NHL Game". gamblershockey.com. Gamblers Hockey. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  41. ^ "Jon Cooper Named Assistant Coach for Team North America for 2016 World Cup of Hockey". NHL.com. November 13, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  42. ^ "Jon Cooper to Coach Team Canada at 2017 IIHF World Championship". hockeycanada.ca. April 11, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  43. ^ "Sweden defeats Canada in shootout to win 2017 IIHF world title". Sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  44. ^ "Hockey Canada Names Men's Olympic Coaching And Support Staffs For Beijing 2022". Hockey Canada.
  45. ^ "Cooper calls decision to skip Olympics 'devastating'". TSN. January 3, 2022.
  46. ^ "Cooper named Canada coach for 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, 2026 Olympics". NHL.
  47. ^ Erik Erlendsson (March 25, 2013). "Tampa Bay Lightning hire Cooper as head coach". Tampa Bay Online. Retrieved March 26, 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  48. ^ Dave McCarthy (May 2, 2022). "Cooper ready for Lightning matchup with dad's favorite team, Maple Leafs". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  49. ^ Tampa Bay, Lightning (September 28, 2016). "Lightning's Jon Cooper To Host Charity Fishing Slam". Tampa Bay Lightning.com. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  50. ^ NHL (January 7, 2018). "Jon Cooper named Atlantic Division coach for 2018 NHL All-Star Game". NHL.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  51. ^ "Babcock, Cooper, Roy voted Adams Award finalists". National Hockey League. May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by Head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning
2013–present 		Incumbent
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