“Is this series close? It’s really close. That’s what makes this Battle of Florida so much fun, because it is two extremely competitive teams that play a great brand of hockey. That’s why you get these tight games,” Jon Cooper said after the 4-2 loss in Game 4 to the Florida Panthers. The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t quite experiencing the Stanley Cup Playoffs they had hoped for. So, the team is really having a tough time against the Panthers, sitting at 1-3 in Round 1.
With Game 5 coming up, there’s a lot of pressure on the Lightning to pull off a win and keep their chances for Round 2 alive. Getting knocked out in Round 1 would really sting for those who thought Tampa Bay would take down Florida, shattering their hopes for a second Stanley Cup win in a row. So, even though Jon Cooper is super excited about Game 5 and the rivalry between the two teams, there’s some news that might really surprise a lot of Lightning fans.
On X, hockey Hall of Famer Larry Brooks shared: “A fair amount of chatter about Jon Cooper, who signed a one-year extension a year ago to take him through 25-26. One year seems odd… Plugged-in individual has told me not to be surprised if he leaves TB to take over the operation in Utah, owned by close friend Ryan Smyth.”
Is Cooper heading to the Utah Hockey Club? Looks like this is going to leave a lot of fans scratching their heads. Cooper has been with the Lightning for 12 years now, and during that time, he’s led them to two Stanley Cup victories.
A fair amount of chatter about Jon Cooper, who signed a one-year extension a year ago to take him through 25-26. One year seems odd…
Plugged-in individual has told me not to be surprised if he leaves TB to take over the operation in Utah, owned by close friend Ryan Smyth.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) April 30, 2025
This is a developing report…
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