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When the Lightning return to action on Wednesday night following the post-Olympics thaw, they'll do so without their taskmaster.
Jon Cooper, the two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach who led Team Canada to silver in the 2026 Winter Olympics, was ruled out of Tampa Bay's first two fixtures following the NHL restart.
The 58-year old's absence comes on the heels of the death of his father, Bob.
Here's what you need to know about Cooper's whereabouts.
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Where is Jon Cooper?
Cooper is away from the Lightning bench due to the passing of his father. Tampa Bay announced news of Cooper's absence on Wednesday morning.
The Lightning announce Head Coach Jon Cooper will not be behind the #GoBolts bench tonight or tomorrow due to the passing of his father.
Thoughts go out to Coop and his family.
Cooper will miss the Lightning's Wednesday night clash with the Maple Leafs and Thursday night joust with the Hurricanes before returning to the team.
Jon Cooper father
Cooper's father, Bob, was a Prince George, British Columbia native who established a construction company the same year his son was born.
He instilled a love for his hometown into the younger Cooper.
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"What I like about it is wherever he goes he says he's from Prince George, British Columbia," Bob Cooper boasted while speaking with Prince George Citizen in 2013.
Bob Cooper was also a passionate Maple Leafs supporter, a fact that made Tampa Bay's postseason matchup with the Original Six side in 2022 a little more personal for its head coach.
"My dad grew up being a major Leafs fan," Cooper said, according to NHL.com. "I had to ask him last night who he was cheering for in the series. Thankfully he had the right answer."
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