John Cooper is a unicorn. Cooper works in the National Hockey League, where he's one of only three head coaches who can say they've been with their team for more than three seasons.

On Thursday night, Cooper begins year number 14 as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It's a spectacular achievement in a league where 'hired to be fired' is more the truth than just a jaded turn of a phrase. The 58-year-old has persevered, and throughout the ride, he's treated people around him with respect, with no one mistaking his kindness for weakness.

Meanwhile, Cooper has been as successful as he is personable, getting to six conference finals, winning two Cups in Tampa, and now getting ready to lead Team Canada again – this time at the Winter Olympics in February.

So when this guy talks, people listen.

On Thursday morning, after Tampa's game-day skate, he had some great things to say about the visiting Ottawa Senators. Sure, no coach is ever going to motivate an opposing team by publicly ripping them, but Cooper still had some thoughtful analysis.

"Well, I think from ownership all the way down, I just like everything they've done," Cooper told the gathered media. "From the coach, the GM, to the owner, and I think their captain has really come into his own."

The first Senator that Cooper mentioned by name was Brady Tkachuk, who gave Cooper and Team Canada all kinds of trouble at the Four Nations face-off last February.

"I said this after Four Nations, I think that was probably a little coming-out party for him," Cooper said. "I think a lot of people obviously knew about him, but I think just for his personal confidence, I think he's a phenomenal player."

With a rinkside view at the tournament, Cooper would know. But the praise for the Senators didn’t end there.

"There's a whole bunch of guys around (Tkachuk). They've got Sanderson and Zub, that's an elite pairing on the back end. They've just got guys, savvy vets – you look at Perron and Giroux. I just like the way they're built, the way they play. It's a pretty honest team."

Cooper was also asked about the challenge of getting the right matchup he needs to shut down the Sens’ top-line center, Tim Stutzle.

"Well, it's always a challenge. You hope at home it's a little bit easier to kind of get after, but like I said, they made the playoffs for a reason. They've got some good players, and they're young and they're up and coming. So I'm pretty sure they don't want to be one and done. I'm expecting guys like Tim and everybody else to give us everything (tonight)."

Some high praise for the Senators from arguably the game’s finest head coach, who, quite ridiculously, has never won the Jack Adams Trophy. But given the success and continuity he’s had over the past 13 years, he’s probably just fine now steering clear of it.

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