Jon Cooper Wins First Career Jack Adams Award
After more than a decade of success behind the Tampa Bay Lightning bench, coach Jon Cooper has added one of the few accolades that had previously eluded him.
Cooper was announced recently as the recipient of the 2026 Jack Adams Award, presented annually to the National Hockey League coach judged to have contributed the most to his team’s success. The award is voted on by members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.
The honor marks the first Jack Adams Award for Cooper, despite a coaching résumé that already includes two Stanley Cup championships, four appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, and more victories than any coach in franchise history.
“It was a big, big year for him,” Tampa Bay General Manager Julien BriseBois said last month of Cooper during his annual post-season press conference. “It was amazing what he was able to do again.”
Cooper becomes just the second coach in Tampa Bay history to win the award, joining John Tortorella, who earned the distinction in 2004.
He not only guided Tampa Bay to a strong regular season, but Cooper also served as the head coach of the Canadian Olympic Team, which earned a silver medal after falling in overtime of the Gold Medal game against the United States.
Cooper also had to handle the emotions of his father’s passing away during this past season.
The NHL’s longest-tenured coach guided the Lightning to a 50-26-6 record and 106 points during the 2025-26 season. Tampa Bay’s 50 victories tied for the fifth-highest total in the league and secured the franchise’s ninth consecutive playoff appearance. It was also the organization’s first 50-win season since 2021-22.
Despite battling injuries throughout the season, the Lightning remained among the NHL leaders in several key categories, including wins, goals scored, goals against, goal differential, road victories, regulation wins, comeback wins, and penalty-kill percentage.
The season featured several milestones for Cooper. On Dec. 31, he coached in his 1,000th NHL game, all with the Lightning. Less than two weeks later, Tampa Bay’s 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 12 gave him his 600th career win, making him the second-fastest coach in league history to reach that mark.
This was Cooper’s third time being named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award. He was selected over fellow finalists Dan Muse of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres.
Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois praised both Cooper and his coaching staff following the season, emphasizing the team’s accomplishments in a highly competitive Eastern Conference.
“Only five teams won 50 games in the NHL this season,” BriseBois said. “In the 33 seasons of this franchise, it’s only the fifth time a team won 50 games. We were one of three teams that found a way to win 40 games in regulation. This is a very good hockey team.”
BriseBois said the organization remains confident about its future, citing the strong foundation built by Cooper and the roster currently under contract.
“We’re going to be a contender again next season,” BriseBois said. “We’re going to be fighting for a playoff spot, and we’re going to be driven to do better than we did this year.”
While Cooper received the individual recognition, BriseBois was quick to credit the entire coaching staff for helping navigate a challenging season that included injuries and other obstacles.
“I’m certainly not taking anything away from Coop,” BriseBois said. “My affection and admiration for Coop is tremendous, but it’s a staff. He’s got a really good staff with him that helps him and supports him. All of those guys bring a lot to the table, and they did a fabulous job this year.”
For Cooper, the award marks another milestone in a remarkable tenure that has transformed the Lightning into one of the NHL’s model franchises and further solidified his legacy as one of the league’s premier coaches.
