Jon Cooper has spent the past two years quietly preparing for this moment - not just behind the bench with the Lightning, but behind the scenes, assembling what might be the most loaded Canadian men’s hockey roster in recent memory. Now, with NHL players back in the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, Cooper is steering a juggernaut through group play in Milan, and so far, they’ve looked every bit the powerhouse they were expected to be.
Through two games, Canada has outscored Czechia and Switzerland by a combined 10-1, dominating in all phases. They’ve played fast, physical, and with the kind of chemistry you don’t usually see this early in a short tournament. Sunday brings their final group-stage matchup against France, and with it, a chance to lock up the top seed heading into the knockout rounds.
For Cooper, this isn’t just another coaching gig. This is personal.
The Prince George, British Columbia native has lived the Canadian hockey dream from every angle - as a fan, a player, and now as the man tasked with leading the country’s best to Olympic gold. He remembers being 16 years old during the 1984 Sarajevo Games, watching Team Canada play on classroom TVs rolled into his Saskatchewan prep school.
He remembers the magic of the 1987 Canada Cup, watching Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux dismantle the Soviet Union. Those moments shaped him, and now he’s the one shaping the next generation of Canadian hockey legends on the world stage.
“There is a duty when you are given this platform,” Cooper said. “You don’t take it lightly. You owe it to the people in your country to do everything possible - to put the players in the best position to win.”
That weight of expectation is something Cooper embraces. And while it might look easy from the outside - with a roster stacked from top to bottom with names like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and phenom Macklin Celebrini - the job is anything but simple.
If anything, the stakes are higher. The margin for error is smaller. And the responsibility is greater.
Cooper’s résumé speaks for itself: four trips to the Stanley Cup Final, two championships, six conference finals, and playoff appearances in 11 of the last 12 seasons. But this isn’t just another season.
This is the Olympics. And this team isn’t just talented - it’s generational.
Still, Cooper approaches this group the same way he’s always coached: with structure, accountability, and a sharp understanding of how to get the best out of elite players.
“Honestly, it’s not really different,” Cooper said. “You might have a bit more creative freedom with some of these guys because they’re the best of the best.
But the system is the system. You don’t relax your coaching style just because you’re working with superstars.
They all want to be coached. They need to be coached.
And sometimes, you’ve got to put your thumb on them even more - especially when they don’t know you that well yet.”
That balance - between letting talent breathe and keeping players accountable - is something Cooper has mastered. It’s why his teams play with both flair and discipline. And it’s why he’s the right coach for a Canadian team that’s chasing gold with sky-high expectations.
The foundation for this Olympic squad was laid last year at the 4 Nations Faceoff, where Cooper led Canada to a first-place finish. That tournament served as a trial run - both for the roster and the coaching staff.
When injuries sidelined Lightning forwards Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, Canada pivoted quickly, bringing in Florida’s Sam Bennett and Carolina’s Seth Jarvis. The result?
21 of the 25 players on this Olympic roster are returnees from that 4 Nations team - a level of continuity that’s rare in international hockey.
“It was probably more stressful before 4 Nations, because it was all so new,” Cooper said. “Now I’m much more familiar - not just with the players, but with everything that goes into it.
We’re further ahead. And we’ve been able to tweak some things - change up a few looks, adjust the way we play.
It’s been a huge help.”
Of course, none of this was guaranteed. Four years ago, the NHL pulled out of the 2022 Beijing Games less than two months before the opening ceremony.
Cooper had already started preparing for that tournament, only to have the rug pulled out at the last minute. So this time around, he’s made sure to stay ready - even while juggling his full-time job in Tampa Bay.
“There is a balance, because it’s tough,” Cooper admitted. “But I can’t thank my staff enough for how much they’ve helped. Time management is the biggest part - making sure nothing gets sacrificed with the Lightning.”
It’s a delicate dance, coaching one of the NHL’s most consistent franchises while simultaneously leading a national team on the sport’s biggest stage. But Cooper’s not taking any of it for granted.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” he said. “It doesn’t happen every year.
Everybody’s on board - even my family. They’re like, ‘As long as we’re coming, we’re good.’”
Now, with group play nearly wrapped and the elimination rounds looming, Cooper’s team looks locked in. The mission is clear.
The talent is undeniable. And the coach?
He’s right where he belongs - at the center of it all, chasing gold with a team built for greatness.