The toughest speech Jon Cooper has ever given his Lightning squad was the first one.
It was 10 years ago today, immediately after the Lightning won their first game since head coach Guy Boucher was sacked. Cooper, who had guided the team’s AHL affiliate, Norfolk, to a Calder Cup the season before, flew in that afternoon and watched from a suite.
Assistant general manager Julien BriseBois had picked Cooper up from the airport. He attempted to keep things light, saying how the travel, the food — everything — would be better in the NHL. “You’ll drive a better car,” he said. As Cooper pulled up to Amalie Arena, it finally sank in.
“Wow, this is really happening.”
The news conference he gave the local media before the game was a breeze. He told them he wanted his squad to be a blend between the rugged 1970s Flyers and high-flying 1980s Oilers. But Cooper was more anxious about the postgame meeting with players.
The changing room was filled for it, with athletes either in their suits or postgame workout clothes and seated in their stalls. The training, equipment and hockey operations crew also fit in.
Cooper had delivered intro remarks a half-dozen times in previous stops, from his first coaching job at a high school in Lansing, Mich., to teams in Texarkana, Green Bay, Wis., and Norfolk, Va. But this was different. These weren’t kids. It was future Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis. Captain Vinny Lecavalier. Future cornerstones Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman.
GM Steve Yzerman introduced Cooper, telling the group there’d been a leadership shift. The next time they made changes, it’d be to the roster. The Hall of Famer had Cooper’s back from the start. All eyes were glued.
Leave a Reply