On March 25, 2013 Jon Cooper was hired to become the next head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. From Conference Finals to winning Stanley Cups, it’s a day that changed the trajectory of the entire organization.
“It feels like it just started yesterday,” said Cooper. “When I first came into the league, I used to wear every game on my sleeve, and I would ride the emotions of every shift. I think if you do that, your coaching life might get a little bit shorter. I learned to take a step back, look at the big picture, and not just ride the waves of emotions. It’s taken me time and experience to understand how to navigate those waters.”
In November 2024, Cooper hit a new milestone with the second-most wins of any NHL coach in their first 900 games, behind none other than Hockey Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman. Since hiring Cooper in 2013, the Lightning have the 2nd-most regulation wins and counting, in the NHL.
“He’s arguably the best coach in the league, Lightning captain Victor Hedman said of Cooper.
“The success he's had and the success we've had together has been a lot of fun. He’s evolving with the game. He’s really good at adapting to opponents, and just trying to stay ahead of the curve.”
“He doesn't let things slide. We have a certain standard here and if it's not met, we're going to hear about it,” Hedman said of Cooper’s style of coaching. “It’s important to have that and it’s what drives us as a group. We want to be the best team every single game and every single year. You really appreciate that from a coach.”
Prior to taking the job in Tampa, Cooper coached the Norfolk Admirals, which was the Lightning's AHL affiliate at the time. The 2011-12 Admirals were legendary, beating their opponents in 28 consecutive games and later winning the Calder Cup championship. In 2013 Cooper was promoted to head coach of Tampa Bay with 17 games left in the NHL season.
Yanni Gourde, who is in his second stint with the Lightning is grateful to be back with Cooper behind the bench.
“What he's done for me is tremendous,” said Gourde. “Honestly, from my first call up to now, being able to win, giving me a role.. it's been a lot of fun to be coached by him. He’s a very good coach and communicator.”
“That’s the great thing, he (Cooper) always wants us to get better and try to improve every single day. Never get too high, never too low and that's really important to us. Ultimately it’s what leads to more success, that’s how he operates.”
Jon Cooper has coached the Lightning to four Stanley Cup Finals, two of those ending with back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. During his time as head coach, the Lightning have missed the postseason only once. Twelve years later, they find themselves on a similar trajectory, eyeing another playoff run.
"He knows how to talk to guys, he's a great person and does everything the right way,” said Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak. “If you’re playing great, he's good, but if you're not playing so great.. he's going to tell you. I think he's the best coach in the NHL, maybe even the world for how much success he’s had.”
"He's honest and always keeping us motivated. Even if we’re not winning, he still believes in us. We’re really happy we have him in Tampa, and hopefully he's going to be here for a long time.”