Cooper getting excited for pressures of coaching Team Canada on international stage
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Jon Cooper is starting to feel the excitement for February's 4 Nations Face-Off as best-on-best international hockey returns to prime time.
The longtime Tampa By Lightning bench boss will coach Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off as well as the 2026 Winter Olympics in 13 months time.
“I have not felt it quite yet,” Cooper told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic on whether the importance of these two tournaments in Canada has sunk in yet. “I probably felt it a little when we went on the western Canadian trip after the roster was announced.
“Remember, we’re in Tampa, so Sportsnet and TSN aren’t running down here. When we went out West, every place you go somebody is acknowledging you in a positive way, saying, ‘Good luck.’ You’re like, ‘Wow, people are paying attention.’”
The 57-year-old native of Prince George, B.C., is in his 13th season coaching the Lightning, having won two Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 alongside 10 playoff appearances.
Internationally, Cooper coached Team Canada to a silver medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championship and was named head coach of the 2022 Olympic team before NHL players were told they would be not be participating for a second straight Olympics.
“I would say 2022, even though we didn’t get to go, was a big step for me in regards to Hockey Canada and with this group,” Cooper said. “Because we had all gotten together we had all met, the trainers, the equipment guys, GMs — it wasn’t my first introduction to these guys and it wasn’t my first introduction to being in the room with them.
“Now you fast-forward to a couple of years later, and it’s like the band that never got to play is back together.”
At the 4 Nations Face-Off - running from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston - Cooper will be joined on the bench by Bruce Cassidy, Peter DeBoer and Rick Tocchet while Don Sweeney will serve as the general manager. Doug Armstrong will be the GM for the Olympic team.
According to LeBrun, Hockey Canada's original plan was to name a coach for the 4 Nations and then decided on their coach for the Olympics down the road.
Cooper made it clear that if "he’s in, he’s all-in," LeBrun says.
“For us to have different management and different coaches for tournaments that are basically less than a year apart, that are going to have a lot of the same players, it’s hard to grow as a group if you know this won’t be the coach in a year. I think everybody understood that and everybody understood that as management as well, that we’re going to be a cohesive group," Cooper said.
Cooper added that Team Canada is not treating the 4 Nations as a "stepping stone" to the Olympics.
“The point I wanted to make, though, is that I never wanted the 4 Nations tournament to be a stepping stone to the Olympics. The 4 Nations tournament is a tournament we’re going there to win. Nobody is making this team to say, ‘Oh, let’s give this guy a look to see if he’s going to be somebody for the Olympics.’ That is not the case," Cooper explained. "With our management group and coaches, that was paramount for us. ‘Let’s pick this team to win this.’ And then let’s Monday morning quarterback on Feb. 21 (for the Olympics).”
Canada won the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto, the last best-on-best hockey tournament.
Leadership group
It's a safe bet that either Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid will wear the 'C' at the 4 Nations Face-Off with a selection of accompanying players wearing letters as well.
Cooper says he continues to work his way though those discussions.
“It’s like picking the team — you’re not throwing out the top 20 Canadian scorers and saying they’re on the team,” Cooper told LeBrun. “The team is oozing with leadership. There’s (NHL) captains and assistants all over this team. I think a little bit of thought has to go into it. There has to be communication with management, coaches and some players.
“But we’ll announce that in due time.”
The 37-year-old Crosby was captain at the 2016 World Cup and the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, leading Canada to gold both times.
Hall of Fame defenceman Scott Niedermayer was Canada's captain when they captured gold on home soil at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.
Pressures of Team Canada
When Canada plays hockey on the international stage, gold is the only result that will satisfy players and fans alike.
And it can get difficult when things don't go as planned especially with teams around the world getting better and better every year.
A prime example of this came just a few days ago when Canada dropped a 3-2 shootout shocker to Latvia at the World Juniors in Ottawa, the biggest upset in the history of the tournament.
Cooper knows that the path to gold at both the 4 Nations and Olympics will have a few bumps along the way as well.
"Whether it’s the NHL or whether it’s an international tournament, everybody wants their team to go 82-0, and in the regular season in the NHL it’s not feasible,” Cooper said. “In tournaments, is it feasible? It is. Does it always happen? Most times it does not.
“Because of the standard that Hockey Canada set over the last 50 years, people expect us to win all the time. But the goal in the end is to win the tournament. And I don’t care what team, every team that’s won, there’s been bumps in the road and there’s been scares. But it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish. But when you’re in that moment, sometimes it stings. And I’m sure that one [loss to Latvia] stung a bit.”
The best-on-best tournament begins on Feb. 12 with Canada taking on Sweden at Bell Centre in Montreal. Canada then plays the United States on Feb. 15, also from Bell Centre, before travelling to TD Garden in Boston to battle Finland on Feb. 17.
The top two teams after round robin play will square off in the championship game on Feb. 20 in Boston