The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t far removed from being one of the most dominant teams in the NHL with back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. After falling just short of a three-peat in 2022, the Lightning have gone three straight seasons without a playoff series win.
It’s this sudden lack of playoff success that has forced some to think the best move for the Lightning would be to find a new head coach. Jon Cooper is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL, taking over as Lightning head coach in March of 2013.
Despite the playoff struggles and the long tenure in Tampa Bay, Cooper says he’s not going anywhere.
“Contrary to rumors and whatever’s going on out there,” Cooper told Sports Club of Tampa Bay. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Over the course of his time in Tampa Bay, Cooper has won the Stanley Cup twice and reached the Cup Final round on two other occasions. He’s one of the most successful head coaches currently in the NHL, and is approaching a rare milestone for bench bosses.
With 961 games coaches with the Lightning, Cooper is closing in on 1,000 games behind the bench. Cooper has only coached the Lightning and holds a 572-306-83 record. Only 31 coaches in NHL history have reached the 1,000-game milestone, with Cooper set to be the 32nd.
While Cooper isn’t going anywhere any time soon, it isn’t totally out of the question that the 2025-26 season could be his last in Tampa Bay. He’s heading into the final year of his contract and the new trend of playoff exits can’t continue for a team with championship pedigree.
Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois stated his commitment to Cooper for the 2025-26 season, but anything could happen over the course of a season.
"Coop will be back next year," BriseBois said, shutting down any speculation of a coaching change.
The Lightning want to keep fighting for the Stanley Cup. Cooper has helped them do that, and everyone knows it may be some time before another coaching search gets underway in Tampa Bay.
