The Three Longest Serving Coaches In The NHL In 2022
The NHL has seen a lot of coaching changes over the past few seasons. Ten coaches got fresh starts with new teams this past offseason, plus three added to different teams during this past season.
Some teams that are trying out new coaches this upcoming season have legitimate plans to contend for the playoffs, like the Panthers, Bruins and Golden Knights. While some other teams like the Blackhawks and Sharks are trying to rebuild.
The three longest-serving coaches in the NHL all have one thing in common. They have won championships with their team. I do not know if that necessarily gave things away as to the three coaches on this list, but it should give a good indication.
Each of the three coaches have been with their team for more than at least 400 games, the tear below that has five coaches that have coached over 200 games with their team. Those coaches are Dallas Eakins with Anaheim, D.J. Smith with Ottawa, Todd McLellan with LA, Craig Berube with St. Louis and Rod Brind’Amour with the Carolina Hurricanes.
One note about Berube with the Blues, he is the only coach outside of the top three to have won a championship with his current team. While there are some Stanley Cup championship coaches in the NHL, only Berube and the top three coaches have done so with the current team they coach for.
So without further ado, let’s jump in with the third longest-serving coach in the NHL.
3. Jared Bednar – Colorado Avalanche
Jared Bednar has been with the Colorado Avalanche since August of 2016. He has coached over 450 games coaching the Avalanche to a record of 240-168-46 during his time.
One cool note about Bednar has to be his first season with the Avs. During his first year in 2016-17, the Avalanche had one of their worst seasons ever, going 22-56-4 finishing the year with just 48 points.
Facing that adversity in his first season definitely brought his group closer together as they then went on to make the playoffs in his next five seasons, winning the Stanley Cup this past season.
The Avalanche showed that consistently behind the bench can pay off, and it definitely did for them in this case, winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. Bednar definitely is in a safe place job-wise now with the Avalanche, so there is a chance he could outlast the top two coaches and one day be the longest active serving head coach in the league. Maybe he could also do something both of the top coaches have done – win back-to-back championships.
2. Mike Sullivan – Pittsburgh Penguins
Mike Sullivan was brought in to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins after the team let go Mike Johnston, who coached the team to a 15-10-3 record. Sullivan instantly picked up the franchise as they finished the year with a record of 33-16-5 with Sullivan behind the bench. They then would go on to win the Stanley Cup in his first season as coach and again the next year.
Sullivan has spent 507 games as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins having been with the team since being brought in as interim head coach on December 12, 2015. Sullivan has coached the Penguins to a 297-156-54 record, and his team has never missed out on the playoffs to date.
Out of the three coaches, one might expect Sullivan to be the one on the hottest seat right now, but considering the moves the Penguins made this offseason to keep the band together, I guess Sullivan could be safe for the time being.
1. Jon Cooper – Tampa Bay Lightning
Jon Cooper was hired on March 25, 2013, coaching the Lightning for the end of the season after Guy Boucher was fired after the team went 13-17-1 with him behind the bench. Cooper finished the season with the Lightning going 4-8-3. That would be the only time in his career so far that Cooper would coach a team to a losing record.
In just his second full season as an NHL head coach, Cooper took the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. After that, he had a few trips to the Eastern Conference final, where they lost in game seven, and a sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019.
Cooper, the past three seasons are where the magic has really happened. He won back-to-back championships and took his team to three straight Stanley Cup Finals. While they did not win this past season, one would expect next season, we cannot count out the Lightning yet.
The top three coaches have been in the league for a while, and it doesn’t seem like they will be let go anytime soon.