Jon Cooper's future in Tampa Bay has come under plenty of speculation in recent times, but now GM Julien Brisebois has confirmed that future.
The Tampa Bay Lightning suffered another disappointing Stanley Cup Playoffs defeat in 2025, marking the third straight season that they've been eliminated in the first round and second time in a row that it's come at the hands of the Florida Panthers.
As a result, the future of this team has come into question, with many believing they may look to move some of their veteran pieces and potentially blow up their core in the coming years, and those questions have found their way to Jon Cooper as well.
Recently, a report emerged linking Cooper to the Utah Hockey Club due to his friendship with owner Ryan Smith, and with one year remaining on his current deal, the belief was that he could leave to head to Salt Lake City.
While that's still a possibility in the future, Lightning General Manager Julien Brisebois has now confirmed that Cooper will be back behind the bench for next season, and while his future beyond that remains murky, the team at least have his consistency for another year behind the bench.
After taking over back in 2012/13, Cooper is currently the longest tenured coach in the NHL, and with their roster still being loaded with superstars, the hope is that they can finally put it all together when it matters in 2025/26.
If that doesn't happen however, the speculation surrounding Cooper's future will grow louder and louder, and while it's not a guarantee that he leaves, it does feel like the success of the Lightning may be slowly coming to an end, so keep an eye on this intriguing situation as it continues to develop.
