Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois had "fully intended" on re-signing coach Jon Cooper since before the start of the 2018-19 NHL season.
Now, with just five games left in the regular season, he has followed through, announcing a multiyear contract extension for the coach Tuesday.
Hired by Tampa Bay in March of 2013 to replace Guy Boucher, the 51-year-old Cooper was set to have his previous deal expire following this season. While exact terms of his new contract have not been reported, BriseBois said in a team statement that he's looking forward to "working in partnership with Jon for years to come."
If ever there were a season for Cooper to earn a multiyear contract it has been this one. The Lightning ran away with the Presidents' Trophy thanks to a historic scoring pace atop the league. With five games to play, Tampa has already posted a plus-100 goal differential, racking up a 59-14-4 record. They might break the 1995-96 record of 62 regular-season victories. Behind monster seasons from Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, Cooper's Lightning have easily skated into the Atlantic Division's top seed ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This season is far from Cooper's only success as Lightning head coach, however. Since assuming his title in 2013, the former AHL coach has compiled a franchise-record 301 victories. He has also led Tampa to more wins and standing points than any team in the NHL since his first full season behind the bench, logging three 50-win seasons, advancing to three conference finals and taking the Lightning to the 2014-15 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.
"Coop's ability to develop a strong culture while continually adapting has been a big part of the team's success," BriseBois said Tuesday. "He has helped set high standards for our organization with his unrelenting drive for excellence."
