Over the last few years, several NHL teams have seen head coaches come and go, and that won’t change this summer. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t made a head coaching change since the 2012-13 season, when they promoted Jon Cooper from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post states that reality could change relatively soon. Brooks believes it’s odd that Cooper only signed a one-year extension through the 2025-26 season, and a source close to the situation thinks he’s headed out west to take over the Utah Hockey Club, owned by close friend Ryan Smyth.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Cooper depart from the Lightning organization in a few years. He’s won two Stanley Cups (while coaching in four) and has become the franchise’s all-time winningest coach. Additionally, after their last Final appearance in 2022, the Lightning have been eliminated in back-to-back opening-round series, and they’re in danger of doing so for a third consecutive season, meaning Cooper’s message may be becoming stale in the locker room.
Other coaching notes:
- Rick Tocchet’s departure from the Vancouver Canucks had nothing to do with their recent extension offer. Tocchet’s agent, Steve Mountain, said (via Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic), “They stepped up, made the decision hard, you can not say the Canucks did not extend themselves.” Mountain’s comments imply that the Canucks were prepared to make Tocchet one of the league’s highest-paid coaches, and they may be willing to extend a similar offer to one of their favorite coaching candidates this summer.
- The Carolina Hurricanes became the first team in the 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoffs to win a series, setting history behind the bench. The NHL’s Coaching Association announced that last night’s victory made Rod Brind’Amour the first coach in NHL history to win at least one postseason series through his first seven years of tenure. Unfortunately, that success hasn’t carried into Round Two too often as Brind’Amour has only seen two Conference Finals as a head coach, this year’s postseason notwithstanding.
The Jon Cooper situation doesn’t surprise me. Cooper is a great coach but there are many who feel Cooper has lost his edge as a coach in Tampa which typically leads to things becoming stale.
Tampa may consider looking at assistant coach Jeff Halpern as the next guy to lead. Tampa would have to work something out with Halpern to stay another year as an assistant since he’s getting interest from other teams but could very well consider staying especially if he can become the next head coach for a team he has close ties to o & strong relationships with. Granted, maybe Tampa goes a different route, hard to say. However, things will depend on how the team performs under Cooper next season.
Halps made a pretty good career for himself as an undrafted college free agent
@yeasties – He’s surely done well for himself. It’s funny that a guy who played defense his career is the one who coaches the PP & helps run the offense for Tampa lol. Crazy but it shows his hockey IQ of the game is quite high.
@ Feel the teardrops
More likely Cooper goes to Utah so he can get away from being eliminated every year by the mighty Panthers. In the deciding two games , your goalie about a 850 save percentage. Not gonna get it done
@Our cup continues his B.S. – being eliminated every year by Florida? LOL! You’re quite inaccurate but whatever. F*** off, troll.
Surely you know the NHL was playing favorites and the Lightning’s loss is everybody else’s fault and its not fair.
I’ve been calling him “Crybaby Thunder”. I was kinda testing out “FeeltheStaticElectricity” but I actually really like “FeeltheTeardrops”. Thanks for a nice chuckle.
“You’re quite inaccurate”. Solid burn.
Maybe less people would troll you if you stopped acting like a 9 year old??
Playing Colorado and Dallas is easier? Toughest division in hockey by a country mile.
And for those that had Tampa . Bracket busted!
Panthers were +385 to make the Final before the playoffs started. Value bet
Let Coop go. Time for significant changes in TB.
Torts is available again. Or Melrose
Barry Melrose has Parkinson’s Disease, you insensitive stupid a$$. You really are a POS of a human being.
F-you ! You don’t know the first thing about me. I know that you come on here with a holier than thou attitude and write the most slanderous things. I know that you have the mentality of an eight year old and you are easily offended and incensed on anything even remotely negative towards your Lightning. You are a child and I take great joy in sarcastically mocking you. As far as Melrose is concerned I had not heard he has Parkinson’s. It is not a shot at Melrose but rather possibly the worst hire ever in all of the 4 major sports . And it was done by your Lightning. Enjoy your early offseason A-hole