Jon Cooper is not going anywhere, not for a while. Cooper has signed a multi-year contract extension to remain on as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He took over the Lightning in 2013 after former head coach Guy Boucher was relieved of his duties. Cooper himself had joined the organization in 2010 when he was hired to oversee the Norfolk Admirals, Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate of the time.
The terms are vague – financial stuff is not disclosed (a normal team standard) or any other contractual obligations, length (beyond multi-year) or bonuses… The vital aspect here is that the head coach (who has a 112-70-23 record since taking over Tampa Bay) is sticking around.
An arguable aspect that some will claim is that this move complicates the re-signing of captain Steven Stamkos. Contract terms don’t mean squat when signing coaches and players but there is a group of media-types out there who think that Cooper and Stamkos are at odds. Don Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada and Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy have suggesting Stammer would be more likely to leave if he can’t outlast Cooper. Wyshynski wrote in August about how signing Stamkos isn’t that simple and cited the “Cooper Factor” in what could thwart it.
Stamkos is not one of Coop’s Troops; and the last time we saw him on the ice, Stamkos was playing out of position and struggling offensively, partially because of it. Cooper loves his game, no doubt. But Stamkos isn’t his guy in the same way
From the local level, though, this conflict seems like a built-up story line that doesn’t exist.
Do you name Steven Stamkos captain of your team (as Cooper did on March 6, 2014) you have such a conflict with him not being “one of his guys”? There were other veteran presences on the 2013-14 Lightning roster to fill the captaincy in the wake of the departure of Martin St. Luis. If Cooper’s hand was forced, why stick around?
It’s not the state of things that it’s been made out to be oer the past few months.
Cooper won the Calder Cup at the AHL level in 2011-12 and brought the Lightning to the NHL playoffs the past two seasons, going so far as the Stanley Cup Finals last season.
What are your thoughts in general? Let us know in comments.
UPDATE: You can hear GM Steve Yzerman’s remarks on the Jon Cooper extension here:
