The Tampa Bay Lightning set off into the sunset not very gracefully this year, which had many wondering about Jon Cooper's future, until he addressed it today.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have added former NHL player and assistant coach Dan Hinote to their staff as an assistant coach, general manager Julien BriseBois has announced.
Hinote, 48, joins the Lightning after two seasons as associate coach with the Colorado Avalanche's top affiliate, the AHL's Colorado Eagles.
Hinote was an AHL Association Coach of the Month pick in March last season, while leading the Eagles to a 43-21-5 mark and the top mark in the AHL's Western Conference.
Colorado led the league in goals for (250) and goal margin (+65), and was fourth in the league in goals against (185). The team advanced to the Division Finals in the Calder Cup Playoffs and lost in five games to the Abbotsford Canucks.
Hinote also includes previous NHL coaching experience as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2010 to 2014.
Jon Cooper wants to remain with the Lightning forever
His signing left tongues wagging concerning the future of veteran Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, but Cooper was quick to put doubts to rest. He reaffirmed that he's not going anywhere and is still devoted to leading the team.
'I'm never leaving you guys. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. This is the first place I was fortunate enough to be hired,' Cooper told reporters. 'I've poured my heart into this team, into this city, and the city's given everything back to me and more. It'd be pretty difficult for me to wear any other color than Lightning blue.'
Cooper, who became the head coach in March 2013, has become the NHL's longest-serving head coach and the most successful in Lightning franchise history.
He's guided the team to four Stanley Cup Finals, with two consecutive championships in 2020 and 2021. Tampa Bay has only missed the playoffs under his coaching once.
Off the ice, Cooper is a strong community advocate. His annual charity fish day, 'Coop's Catch for Kids,' raises thousands of dollars every year for pediatric cancer research and has become a beloved Tampa Bay tradition.
Fans of the team and players alike are definitely glad he reaffirmed his commitment to the team.
