The Sports Club of Tampa Bay held its annual Hall of Fame Ceremony on Wednesday night. Among the new inductees was Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.
“What’s special about Tampa? This is what’s special,” Cooper said in his speech. “It’s all of you. For me and my family, this is all I’ve ever known. This is all my kids have ever known.”
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Cooper was hired by the Lightning in March 2013, a move that changed the trajectory of the organization. He is the longest-tenured coach in the NHL and has coached the Lightning to four Stanley Cup Finals, with two of those ending in back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. During his time as head coach, the Lightning have missed the postseason only once.
“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. This is the first place I was fortunate enough to be hired,” Cooper told reporters at the event. “I’ve poured my heart into this team, into this city, and the city’s given everything back to me and more. It’d be pretty difficult for me to wear any other color than Lightning blue.”
Cooper has given a lot back to the Tampa Bay community, including through his annual charity event, ‘Coop’s Catch for Kids’, which raises thousands each year for pediatric cancer research.
“You’re inspired by this town and community to give them everything and it’s been a marriage made in heaven for me,” said Cooper. “I hope it’s 12 more years.”