The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed head coach Jon Cooper to a multi-year contract extension, the club announced Friday.
Cooper became coach of the Lightning on March 25, 2013 after the team relieved Guy Boucher of his position.
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Cooper, a native of Prince George, British Columbia, has led the Lightning to 112-70-23 record and a .602 winning percentage in 205 games. He has guided the Bolts to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his two full seasons since coming to Tampa Bay, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015. On April 11, 2015, Cooper earned his 100th career victory, making him the fifth-fastest coach to do so among those who debuted in the league since 2000. He was also named a finalist for the 2014 Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL’s top bench boss.
The 2014-15 season was an especially remarkable one for Cooper and the Lightning, posting a record of 50-24-8, reaching the 50-win plateau for the first time in franchise history. The Lightning also set a new franchise high for points in a season (108). Tampa Bay led the NHL with 259 goals scored during the regular season and their 32 wins at AMALIE Arena were the most in the NHL. The Lightning’s success transferred over to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Tampa Bay defeating the Detroit Red Wings in seven games, the Montreal Canadiens in six and the New York Rangers in seven before eventually losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final. In the process the Lightning became the first team in the modern era to beat three of the NHL’s original six clubs in the same postseason.
Cooper will serve as an assistant coach under Todd McLellan for the under-24 Team North America squad at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The Lightning are currently in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 12-11-3 record.
