Tampa Bay Lightning extend head coach Jon Cooper
On Tuesday, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning revealed that they have given head coach Jon Cooper a contract extension.
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Tuesday they have given head coach Jon Cooper a multi-year contract extension, without revealing the terms and dollars. Cooper has already guided the Lightning (59-14-4) to the Presidents’ Trophy. Now in his seventh season as bench boss of the Lightning, Cooper has recorded an impressive 302-157-44 coaching record.
The Lightning are enjoying the greatest regular season campaign since the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, who finished with 62 wins and 131 points.
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Nikita Kucherov (38 goals and 121 points), has become the first player to reach at least 120 points since Sidney Crosby did so in 2006-07. Joe Thornton’s 125 points from the 2005-06 campaign remains the best since the 2004-05 lockout, but Kucherov has a chance to surpass that total.
Under Cooper, the Lightning have reached the postseason five times, highlighted by a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015. They also reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2016 and 2018 — losing in Game 7 both times.
Though the Lightning have yet to win the Stanley Cup under Cooper’s guidance, they are an annual Cup contender under his watch.
Out of every NHL bench boss to coach at least 500 games, only Scottie Bowman (.657), has a higher winning percentage than Cooper (.644). The latter is also 48th all-time in coaching wins with 302.
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Cooper and the Lightning are undoubtedly the Stanley Cup favorites heading into the postseason. Their 306 goals for are tops in the NHL, and the 206 goals they’ve surrendered are fifth-fewest. Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point have each hit the 40-goal and 90-point marks. Five Lightning players already have 20-plus goals.
It was only a matter of time until Cooper got rewarded with an extension. General manager Julien BriseBois hinted back in October (via Joe Smith of The Athletic, subscription required), that Cooper would soon get a new contract.
Before Cooper began his first full season as Lightning head coach in 2013-14, the team had missed the playoffs in five of the previous six years. He’s turned them into one of the NHL’s elite teams, as evidenced by the three Eastern Conference Final appearances and now a 2018-19 Presidents’ Trophy.
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Now, the Lightning can reward him even further by winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since since 2004. This is certainly their best chance to do it under coach Cooper