What began as a celebration of giving back turned into a memorable surprise for Jon Cooper. On Wednesday, the Lightning head coach visited Tampa General Hospital for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Coop’s Catch for Kids Family Lounge, a new space inside Muma Children’s Hospital created to support pediatric cancer patients and their families. The room was funded through proceeds from Cooper’s annual Coop’s Catch for Kids charity fishing tournament, an event that has continued to grow in recent years.
What Cooper didn’t know was that several of the families he’s helped would be there to watch him receive the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL’s Coach of the Year. For a coach that doesn’t love surprises, this was one he was ready for.
“To be honest, it’s almost fitting that it happened this year, just because of the culmination of what Coop’s Catch started as and what it has become,” Cooper said. “And now to win this award and have them both intersect at a time where, in a way, it was me giving back and then somebody giving to me, it’s kind of cool and prophetic the way the whole thing worked out.”
“In the end, my name will be on this trophy. I feel extremely fortunate that my name is on the Stanley Cup. But more importantly, to build this in the community, have your name on something that is affecting people that are going through tough times, that means everything to me.”
The Lightning’s season was one filled with a number of challenges for Cooper. While navigating the loss of his father, he also led a team that battled adversity from start to finish, making the journey even more meaningful. His ability to remain composed, regardless of the circumstances, has long been one of his defining traits. When Cooper needed to miss time this season, his coaching staff was there to step in. At his father’s Celebration of Life in Vancouver, the entire Lightning team showed up to support.
“You look back and you're like, 'Wow, you would have loved to spread a lot of that stuff out over years instead of what happened in the last eight months.' It's tough too, because my mom and dad are no longer with us, so they didn't get the opportunity to see this event, but they are definitely here with me now.”
Cooper’s wife, Jessie, twin daughters Josie and Julia, and son Jonny were all at the event on Wednesday. Giving back to the community has remained a family priority through the creation of the J5 Foundation. When Cooper arrived in 2013, everything about Tampa was new. Now, his daughters are preparing for their senior year of high school, and his son is preparing to move away to play hockey.
“We were just talking about the fact that the kids were able to have their entire youth life, all that they remember, is in one city,” said Cooper. “That’s where I’m just unbelievably thankful and grateful. For them to be able to have stability in their lives and not have to chase me around from city to city has been pretty cool. To be able to share all of this with everybody means a lot.”
On the ice, few teams were tested by injuries more than the Lightning this season, which ended with 339 man games lost. The total doesn’t include captain Victor Hedman’s 14-game personal leave of absence. Hedman missed 49 games overall, while Ryan McDonagh missed 34, Emil Lilleberg 33, Nick Paul 31, Erik Cernak 21 and Brayden Point 19. Despite those absences, the Lightning remained among the top teams in the division for much of the season.
Being eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was a disappointing end to the season, but for Cooper they’re one step closer to their ultimate goal.
“I know we don't win the Stanley Cup every year, but I think we bring joy to this fan base, we give them a playoff run,” he said. “Is it extremely upsetting when we don't win? It is, but there’s a drive in this group that wants us to continue to be better. This is a byproduct of that, and I can't thank everybody enough.”