The wonderful folks over at The Athletic ran their annual NHL player poll and a familiar name topped the list of coaches that players around the league want to play for – Jon Cooper. Over the last couple of months, 111 NHL players were polled, and out of the 108 that responded to the question, Cooper was the overwhelming choice among the selections.
As for what they said, The Athletic posted quotes from two players about playing for Coop.
“I like his persona,” one player said of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jon Cooper.
One player who couldn’t choose between Cooper and the Colorado Avalanche’s Jared Bednar said: “Their teams play such nice hockey. They play fast. If I were to turn the TV on, I would probably look at those two teams because they play beautiful hockey.”
The Athletic, NHL Player Poll, 2/5/25
It’s not really a surprise, based on their recent success, and Coach Cooper’s reputation as a player’s coach. There are few bad things said about him, even from ex-players.
Other questions involved the length of the season (not too long), in-season tournaments (no), and the best (Detroit) along with the worst (Carolina) facilities for visiting teams.
Lightning News
A look back at the Lightning’s January [Raw Charge]
It was the shooting, y’all. With their shooting percentage cleaved more than in half, the Lightning struggled to score. That led them to struggle to win as well.
Harrison Meneghin named WHL Goaltender of the Month [CHL]
Going 7-0-0 with a 1.55 GAA and a .930 SV% will win you a bunch of awards. Could we see him in Syracuse when Medicine Hat’s season is over? Quite possibly, but they have designs on a long playoff run, so we’ll see.
Anthony Cirelli appears on Block Party [Tampa Bay Lightning]
Tony Two Goals was a surprise guest on a live recording of the Lightning Block Party podcast.
How Brayden Point became Team Canada’s underrated superstar [The Athletic]
The highest-scoring Canadian player since 2022-23, the 4 Nations Face-Off might be the launching pad for international glory for the Lightning’s top center.
Hockey News
Canucks sign Marcus Pettersson to a six-year extension [Canucks Army]
After two games, Vancouver decided that their recent trade pick-up needs to stick around for a few more seasons. Set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, Pettersson will instead be sticking around a little while longer.
NHLPA appeals Ryan Hartman’s 10-game suspension [AP News]
Once it was announced that Hartman was getting ten games for slamming Tim Stutzle’s head onto the ice, it was a forgone conclusion that either Hartman or the NHLPA would appeal the decision. Since Gary Bettman is the one that hears the initial appeal, it’s not likely to be reduced.
Why Jake Oettinger put ‘Doodle’ on 4 Nations gear [Defending Big D]
Jake Otter, the little ‘doodle’ on Jake Oettinger’s mask, will also be on his pads as he takes to the net for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Behind the Design: Filipino Heritage Merch [L.A. Kings]
Designer D.J. Javier talks about his inspiration for the designs that adorn the merchandise for the Kings Filipino Heritage night.
Victoire Vibe Vol 2.4 [The Ice Garden]
Checking in on our adopted PWHL team, the Montreal Victoire. It was a good week for the league’s top team, but could Marie-Phillip Poulin be facing a suspension for this hit against Jade Downie-Landry:
NHL Awards Watch Update [ESPN]
Barring any unforeseen tragedies Connor Hellebuyck is going to win the Vezina, but can he also win the Hart Trophy? There is a chance. Nikita Kucherov gets a passing mention in that race while Brayden Point is listed as a possibility for the Lady Byng Award.
