Cooper will return to Bolts: 'Hard to see myself anywhere else'

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager head coach Jon Cooper confirmed he'll be back behind the bench for the only NHL club he's ever worked for next season.

"I just know that if there's an organization out there better than this one, I want to see it," Cooper said, per Eduardo Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. "The way it's run, it just exudes class from the ownership all the way down. ... For me, it's hard to see myself anywhere else."

General manager Julien BriseBois declined to get into the details of Cooper's contract earlier Friday, but the pair's comments nullified recent rumors that Cooper would potentially be involved in this upcoming offseason's busy head coach carousel following Tampa Bay's first-round elimination at the hands of the Florida Panthers.

The Lightning have lost three consecutive opening-round series, twice to their in-state rivals.

Seven head coaching vacancies are open across the league.

Cooper is the NHL's longest-tenured head coach, leading the Lightning since 2012-13. He's amassed a 572-306-83 record with the club and reached four Stanley Cup Finals. The Lightning won it all in 2020 and 2021.

The Lightning's 568 wins since the 2013-14 season, Cooper's first full campaign with the club, are the most in the league.

Cooper recently guided Canada to victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he'll be behind the bench again for his country at the 2026 Olympics in Italy.