(Photo from @TBLightning on X (Aka Twitter))
By Ethan Shapiro
It’s the first week of March. As the standings get tight and trade deadline rumors circulate, teams in contention are shifting gears to prepare for one of the most wide-open Stanley Cup Playoffs in recent memory. Most coaches would be drawing up new plays at practice or composing new line combinations.
As we all know, most coaches are not Jon Cooper. With four days off after a hard-fought win against Montreal, the Bolts made their first trades of the deadline: skates for flip flops and sticks for fishing rods.
Monday, March 4, marked the sixth annual “Coop’s Catch for Kids” charity fishing tournament, an event that raises money for children’s cancer research. In conjunction with Dick Vitale’s V Foundation and the Lightning Foundation, Cooper and his wife have hosted participants and their families to enjoy a day of fishing with their favorite Lightning players and celebrities.
Cooper was initially inspired to start the event after developing a close friendship with Tony Colton, a young man battling cancer. Colton, an avid Lightning fan, liked to go fishing as an escape in between cancer treatments. After they met at a Lightning charity event, Cooper would take Tony out on the water to talk hockey and cast lines in the hopes of hooking a big one. In an interview with The Hockey News’ Diandra Loux, Cooper stated,
“Tony is a big inspiration for why we're still doing this. Unfortunately, we lost him in 2017. Every time I'm on the water, he’s right there fishing with me.”
Among those in attendance this year was none other than The Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky. By his own standards, Gretzky admitted he is typically more skilled on the water when it’s frozen, but that he was excited to join Coach Cooper’s cause nonetheless. In an interview with Fox 13 Tampa Bay, Gretzky praised Cooper and the importance of giving back:
"It's about raising awareness, the kids that are battling and the families that are battling," Gretzky said. “The great thing about our game is the people in the game. It’s nice to see all the players show up today. Jon is a wonderful coach, more importantly, he's a great man.”
It can be challenging to look past the achievements of players like Gretzky and coaches like Cooper, who have seemingly done all there is to do in their respective careers. Still, in an increasingly self-interested sports culture, Cooper’s insatiable desire to achieve more on the ice and contribute to the community is a rare combination.
Although there is plenty of praise to go around for the success of “Coop’s Catch,” which has raised nearly a million dollars for cancer research since its inception, it has been largely driven by the fact that Cooper is, as Gretzky says, a “great man.” In the not-so-distant past, the very idea of inviting Wayne Gretzky to participate in a charity organized by a hockey team in Florida was unthinkable. Now, two Stanley Cups and a few hundred games’ worth of sellout crowds later, Tampa is officially “on the map” as a can’t-miss bonafide hockey hub.
In a few short years, Jon Cooper has turned the NHL’s Canada-centric status quo on its head and used his influence to improve the lives of those around him. Both behind the bench and in the community, Cooper has shown time and again that he will not rest until the task at hand is complete. While “Coop’s Catch” is merely one day on the calendar, philanthropy is still at the forefront of Cooper’s mind throughout the season. “To be in the situation I’m in, I know I’m a hockey coach for an NHL team, but to have another purpose outside of that, this is it,” he said.
Beyond “Coop’s Catch,” he and the Bolts frequently visit Tampa General Hospital, invite children to join them on the ice in practice, and welcome families to AMALIE Arena on game days. Just as the fans’ passion is palpable on Channelside Drive, Cooper and his players are vocal about improving their community beyond the rink. In more ways than one, the Lightning are indeed Tampa’s “home team.”
Want to start your journalism career by writing about the Tampa Bay Lightning? Send us a message via our contact form located in the upper right-hand corner under the more tab, or send us a message via Twitter to get started.
Comentarios