By It only took 14 seasons.
But Jon Cooper has finally added some hardware to his collection, as he has been named the Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL Coach of the Year.
For more than a decade, Jon Cooper has been regarded as one of the best coaches in hockey. He’s won Stanley Cups, guided deep playoff runs, developed stars, and built one of the NHL’s model organizations.
Yet one award always seemed missing from his résumé: the Jack Adams Award, presented annually to the NHL’s Coach of the Year.
That changed this week when Cooper was named the 2025-26 Jack Adams Award winner, finally receiving the recognition he deserved.
Cooper may have been a victim of his own success. For years, Tampa Bay was excellent under his leadership, and voters frequently looked elsewhere. This season, however, the combination of another outstanding regular season and a growing appreciation for his body of work made him impossible to ignore.
The Lightning finished the regular season with a 50-26-6 record and 106 points, earning their ninth consecutive playoff appearance while finishing second in the Atlantic Division. It marked Tampa Bay’s fifth 50-win season under Cooper.
Cooper was at Muma’s Children’s Hospital on Wednesday to cut the ribbon for the Coop’s Catch for Kids Family Lounge when he was surprised with the Jack Adams Award, given to the top coach in the NHL.
It was a bittersweet season for Cooper. He got his 600th NHL win on Jan. 12, becoming the second-fastest coach in NHL history to accomplish the feat.
The Lightning beat the Boston Bruins in the Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, the first outdoor hockey game played in Tampa.
But it was a disappointing end to the season for Cooper, as the Lightning lost to the Montreal Canadiens four games to three in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Cooper also coached the Canadian Olympic team to a Silver medal at the Winter Olympics and dealt with the death of his father, Robert.
Many coaches enjoy a brief run of success before their message grows stale. Cooper has done the opposite.
Entering his 13th full season behind the bench, he remains the longest-tenured coach in the NHL. Players buy into his system, veterans respect him, and younger players develop quickly under his guidance.
The competition for this year’s award was fierce.
Lindy Ruff led Buffalo to its first playoff appearance in 14 years and a division title, while Dan Muse orchestrated an impressive turnaround in his first season behind the Penguins’ bench. Yet Cooper’s blend of sustained excellence and impressive results this season ultimately won over voters.
The Lightning lost 339 man-games to injury, and Lightning captain Victor Hedman also missed 14 games while taking a personal leave of absence to address mental health issues.
The Lightning had a rough start to the season (1-4-2), their worst start under Cooper, but rebounded to go 20-1-1 from Dec. 20 to Feb. 25, jumping to the top of the Eastern Conference standings in the process.
Cooper has become synonymous with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s culture. Organizations often talk about culture, but few maintain it as consistently as Tampa Bay has over the past decade. Players know what is expected. Accountability exists throughout the roster. Young players understand the standard before they ever step onto NHL ice.
That culture starts behind the bench with head coach Jon Cooper.
In Tampa Bay, Cooper’s legacy was already secure. The Jack Adams Award gave the rest of the hockey world a chance to acknowledge what Lightning fans have known for years officially: Jon Cooper is one of the finest coaches of his era.
