The 2018 NHL All-Star Game will be held on January 28 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The NHL announced on Sunday that Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic), Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators (Central), Barry Trotz of the Washington Capitals (Metropolitan), and Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific) will coach their respective divisions.
The head coach of each of the four divisions’ teams with the greatest point percentage (points gained divided by total points possible) through games played on January 6, the midway point of the regular season, will select the All-Star rosters for each division.
Through games played on Saturday, Cooper’s Lightning (.744, 29-9-3) led the Atlantic Division in points percentage. The Predators (.659, 24-11-6), Trotz’s Capitals (.646, 25-13-3), and Gallant’s Golden Knights (.725, 28-10-2) finished first and second in the Central, Metropolitan, and Pacific Divisions, respectively.
The Lightning’s Steven Stamkos (Atlantic), the Predators’ P.K. Subban (Central), the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin (Metropolitan), the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (Pacific), and Cooper, Laviolette, Trotz, and Gallant are the other captains selected by the fans for the 2018 NHL All-Star Weekend.
The All-Star Game will include a three-game tournament featuring teams from each NHL division, played in a 3-on-3 style, for the third consecutive year. There will be two goalies, three defensemen, and six forwards on each of the four teams.
The NHL’s Hockey Operations Department will select the final 40 All-Stars, who will be revealed on Wednesday.
The NHL All-Star Weekend will be hosted by the Lightning, who are commemorating their 25th season, and the city of Tampa. On Saturday, January 27, the All-Star Skills Competition will take place as the league’s midseason showcase.
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Jon Cooper, the coach of the Lightning, considers Tampa Bay today: “We remain relevant.”
Ottawa—Jon Cooper seldom lacks something to say.
The gregarious, talkative coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning addresses the majority of media inquiries with a depth and transparency that surpasses his colleagues. And Cooper was in his customary conversational mood in an empty room at the Canadian Tire Centre, across the hallway from the visiting coach’s office.
Perched on a stool, thinking back on his team’s ten-year history, Cooper skillfully outlined the Lightning’s development.
“I have witnessed our progression from being the newcomers to the block to the ones that are unstoppable,” Cooper remarked.
But Cooper found himself speechless when asked what name he would give the Lightning’s latest iteration.
He answered, “That’s a good question.”
Cooper pulled up another chair and spread his legs across it as he considered his response. After thinking for over ten seconds, he eventually responded, “Maybe now, we’re the youngsters that don’t want anybody to forget about them.”
Many people view the Lightning as an afterthought, a group of aging, Hall of Fame-bound superstars who are beginning to lose their dominance over the league. The Lightning, who once led this discussion a year ago, are frequently left off lists of elite clubs and Stanley Cup candidates. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round playoff defeat last season has managed to overshadow the three straight Stanley Cup Final trips that preceded it.
And Cooper thinks that will serve as inspiration for him and his team.
A tiny “you” comes out of the guys when they think of us as afterthoughts. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” they exclaim. We’re still important,” Cooper remarked. “Therefore, it is definitely useful.”
Cooper, who is in his 12th season as Tampa’s bench coach, is always seeking for fresh methods to rile up his group. He feels that during his time here, his personality has drastically changed. Cooper is calm and collected in this interview, even though his team lost 4-2 in Columbus 18 hours prior. Cooper stated that if his team had just suffered a setback, his attitude would have been very different a few years ago.
“Back then, I rode the roller coaster to the top after every victory and flew off the tracks after every defeat. Additionally, my emotional response to things now is very different,” Cooper remarked. “I’m thinking much more broadly now. I had a narrower mindset then.
Then, Cooper acknowledges that his newfound perspective may have changed how his team’s 2015 Stanley Cup Final run ended, as they lost to Chicago in six games after blowing a 2-1 series lead.
“Who knows? He speculates that Jon Cooper of today could have been able to lead the 2015 squad to two more Stanley Cup victories.
