TAMPA, Fla. – A come-from-behind victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday evening marked the 500th win of Lightning coach Jon Cooper’s career. What is most impressive about the total is Cooper has done it with one team, unlike the other seven active coaches who have reached the milestone.
“I never take that for granted,” he said Tuesday night. “It’s a privilege to be in this league, but to be able to leave the arena and go to the same house every single day for the last (nearly 11 years), it’s probably not the norm.”
No, it is not the norm. In fact, each of the seven active coaches who have achieved 500 wins have been behind the bench of at least three teams. It is a list that is led by Lindy Ruff’s 855 victories, a total that is fourth all-time among NHL coaches. Ruff is currently coaching the New Jersey Devils. Florida’s Paul Maurice is close behind at 843, good for sixth.
Read: Lightning Begin Four-Game Homestand Tuesday Versus Kings
Cooper, who took over the team in March 2013, is tied with Toe Blake for 28th all-time and is one behind Pat Burns, whom the Bolts’ coach can equal Thursday night against Ruff and visiting New Jersey. Burns’ final two seasons of his coaching career were with the Devils.
The NHL’s all-time leader in victories is a regular in the press box at Amalie Arena. Scotty Bowman, 90 years young and routinely making the hour-long drive to downtown Tampa from his Sarasota home, won 1,244 games in a career that spanned five decades and 30 seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
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