TAMPA, Fla. — After successfully coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, head coach Jon Cooper has been tapped to helm the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team.
According to a release, if NHL players participate in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China, Hockey Canada has put together a full coaching staff.
Jon Cooper, who is currently the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was named head coach of this Olympic team. He will be joined by assistant coaches Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins, Peter DeBoer of the Vegas Golden Knights and Barry Trotz of the New York Islanders.
“It is an honour to be entrusted with leading Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team next year in Beijing, and to be able to carry on the rich tradition of hockey excellence that is associated with Hockey Canada,” Cooper said in a statement. “The opportunity to work with an excellent management group and an elite-level coaching staff of Barry, Bruce and Peter is a great privilege.
"I have many fond memories of the Olympics, from watching games as a young kid to thrilling gold medal victories, and I look forward to helping create lasting memories for Canadians across the country while our team competes for a gold medal."
This will be Cooper's debut as head coach of Canada's men's Olympic Team in Beijing. He was named head coach of Team Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, where the team won the silver medal.
He is entering his ninth full season as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, leading the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Cooper is currently the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.