Jon Cooper is sticking around Tampa Bay.



Following the Tampa Bay’s exit from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this week, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/tampa-bay-lightning/line-combinations">Lightning</a> held a media availability Friday. In part of his remarks to reporters, including <a href="https://x.com/Diandra_loux/status/1918325536167694564">Diandra Loux of The Hockey News</a>, Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois confirmed that head coach Jon Cooper will return for the coming campaign.



The confirmation comes after <a href="https://x.com/NYP_Brooksie/status/1917610966604193968">reports</a> surfaced earlier in the week that the Cooper could separate from the Lightning in order to pursue a new opportunity with the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/utah-hockey-club/line-combinations">Utah Hockey Club</a>.



Per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6236640/2025/03/28/nhl-coaching-carousel-john-tortorella/">The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun</a>, Cooper is under contract with Tampa Bay for one more season.



Elevated to the top job in Tampa Bay late in the 2012-13 campaign, Cooper has since spent 13 seasons behind the Lightning bench, making him the longest-tenured NHL head coach. In the regular season, Cooper has put together a 572-306-83 record, with his 572 victories ranking 25th-best on the NHL’s all-time wins list. As part of that stretch, in 2018-19, the Lightning claimed the Presidents’ Trophy after putting together the league’s best regular season showing, totaling 128 points.<div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="183"></div>



Cooper’s success has also translated to the postseason where the Lightning have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final on four occasions, highlighted by back-to-back championships coming in 2020 and 2021. The Lightning nearly made it three consecutive titles before falling to the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/colorado-avalanche/line-combinations">Colorado Avalanche</a> in six games in 2022. Of note, the Lightning have not won a postseason series since 2022.



Beyond the NHL, Cooper’s decorated resume also counts a Calder Cup championship with the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals in 2012, a Clark Cup win with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in 2012, plus back-to-back championships with the NAHL’s St. Louis Bandits in 2007 and 2008. Earlier this year, Cooper also realized success in international competition after he guided Canada to a first-place finish at the 4 Nations Face-Off.