Lightning Head Coach Voted NHL's Best

The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the NHL's top teams thanks in part to their head coach, Jon Cooper.

Jun 24, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning Jon Cooper during a time out against the Colorado Avalanche in the third period in game five of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It’s been tough trying to hold down a job as an NHL head coach in recent years, but the Tampa Bay Lightning have good reason to continue rolling with their bench boss. Jon Cooper is not only the longest-tenured head coach in the league with 12 seasons under his belt, but he was also just voted as the NHL’s best head coach.

According to a poll of voters on NHL.com, Cooper came out on top with 230 total points.

"You don't need any presentation with Cooper,” Jean-Francois Chaumont wrote. “He's still waiting to get his name on the Jack Adams Award, but he has it on the Stanley Cup.”

Cooper and the Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, finally reaching the mountain top after multiple lengthy playoff runs, including a Cup Final appearance in 2015.

After winning in back-to-back seasons, the Lightning found themselves in the Final again in 2022 going for the three-peat, but were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche.

In 879 career games behind the Lightning bench, Cooper holds a 525-279-75 record, by far the most wins by any coach in franchise history. John Tortorella sits in second with 239 wins.

In 12 years, Cooper has led the Lightning to five Stanley Cup Final appearances, while missing the playoffs just one time. It’s that success that has earned Cooper the position of Team Canada’s head coach for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“In the NHL coaching world, the life expectancy with one team is pretty short,” Chaumont wrote. “Cooper redefines this concept with 12 seasons behind the bench of the Lightning."

Cooper is one of just four bench bosses who were named to their role before the outbreak of COVID-19. Cooper was hired on March 25, 2013, making him the longest-tenured coach in the league.

About two seasons later, the second longest-tenured head coach, Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was named to his role.

The Lightning haven’t had the same success in the last two seasons as the few years prior, but Cooper doesn’t appear to be in any hot seat. Cooper will continue to lead one of the best teams in the league as the top coach around.

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