Jon Cooper sees current Lightning core winning another Stanley Cup.
When you think of the best active coaches in the NHL, it’s hard not to put Jon Cooper at the top.
In recent years, there have been coaching changes aplenty across the NHL.
In fact, there have been 17 head coaching changes since the end of last season.
That’swhat we learn in this article by Joe Smith, on The Athletic.
Jon Cooper also confided that he’s not ready to give up his position at the helm of the Tampa Bay Lightning, even though he knows he can’t stay there indefinitely.
“Eventually, one day, we’ll know it’s time to pass the reign to someone else. There’s no way that’s the time right now.” – Jon Cooper
Cooper is the active coach with the longest reign with a single team.
He has been in post since the end of the 2013 season.
Mike Sullivan with the Pittsburgh Penguins is close behind, but his position is far less guaranteed than Cooper’s, after a disappointing season. The Pittsburgh rebuild seems to have begun with the Jake Guentzel trade.
With so much success since his arrival behind the Lightning bench, Cooper wants to continue this reign for as long as possible.
He knows he won’t be coaching the club forever, but he wants to keep the momentum going and hope to win at least one more Stanley Cup to add to his collection.
In the same Joe Smith article, Cooper made an interesting comparison with golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods:
