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This NHL head coach from Prince George is extending his stay in Tampa Bay

Jon Cooper signs contract extension with league-leading Lightning
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer
Jon Cooper - Tampa Bay 2
Jon Cooper of Prince George is the Head Coach of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning. (via Tampa Bay Lightning)

He’s currently the longest tenured head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL), and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

Prince George native Jon Cooper signed a ‘multi-year’ contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday morning (March 26) and is currently having a career year with his team.

The Bolts have already locked up the President’s Trophy as well as the Atlantic Division title and with five games left in the season, they’ve compiled a record of 59-14-4 for 122 points.

That’s 21 more accumulated points than the next best teams in the NHL.

“His ability to forge impactful relationships with everyone from players to staff has been a trademark of his tenure with the organization and he is the absolute best coach for our hockey team,” said Tampa Bay General Manager Julien BriseBois in a team release, who added Cooper has also helped create a winning culture unlike anything he’s seen before.

“He has helped set high standards for our organization with his unrelenting drive for excellence,” BriseBois explained. “I would like to thank Coop and his family for their continuous commitment to the organization, as well as to the Tampa Bay community, and I look forward to working in partnership with Jon for years to come.”

In his eight years with the Lightning, Cooper has become the franchise’s all-time wins leader as bench boss with 301, eclipsing 50 wins in three different seasons.

He was a finalist for the NHL’s Jack Adams Award in 2014 as the league’s best coach and led Tampa to the Stanley Cup Finals a year later.

The Bolts are coming off of a 5-4 comeback victory on home ice against the Boston Bruins and have the next four days off.

Cooper will welcome fellow Prince George product Brett Connolly and the defending Stanley Cup-champion Washington Capitals on Saturday at 4 p.m. Pacific.