The Toronto Maple Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup since way back in 1967 when there were just six teams in the National Hockey League, and despite expectations of winning another over the past decade, the team have not even managed a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.
This past off-season, the organization went through plenty of change, and with the additions of Gavin McKenna and Sergei Bobrovksy on top of new Head Coach Jim Hiller, there’s renewed optimism for the organization. However, if they fail, mass changes could again be on the way, and according to new reports, there may be one major option to take over as Head Coach if the team don’t see Hiller as their long-term option behind the bench.
Jon Cooper Linked to Maple Leafs Coaching Role
GettyJon Cooper, coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
That major option would be current Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper, and while he’s in the role ahead of 2026/27, there have been persistent rumors over the past two years that he may not be renewing his deal past his current contract. The length of his current contract is unknown, as he quietly extended with the Lightning ahead of the 2025/26 season, and as a result, there’s speculation that anything could happen with the two-time winner in Tampa Bay.
If Cooper does leave the Lightning however, there will be many teams interested in him, and on the latest episode of The Sheet, NHL reporter Jeff Marek suggested that the Maple Leafs role would be one that intrigues Cooper.
“I do think that Jon Cooper is of the mind that that’s a real challenge that he would embrace,” said Marek.
Obviously, a 58-year Stanley Cup drought is one that has tormented Maple Leafs fans for a long, long time, and while Cooper has done great things with the Lightning, taking Toronto back to the Stanley Cup Finals is a mountain that no one has yet been able to climb in the modern era.
Will Jon Cooper Leave the Lightning?
However, all of this is obviously speculation, with the Lightning clearly committed to Cooper in the short-term despite disappointments in recent Stanley Cup Playoffs results, but where there’s smoke, there’s often fire, and there’s been too much chatter around his future for it to be nothing.
In Tampa Bay, there’s a roster that’s had experience not only making the Finals, but winning Stanley Cups, and given the lifestyle that Cooper has enjoyed, there are plenty around the NHL that believe he’s too comfortable there to move.
Ultimately though, if he were to leave, the Maple Leafs make perfect sense as a fit, as this is a team that need Stanley Cup experience behind the bench to lead this core to success, and while that’s a lot easier said than done, it makes sense as a challenge for the two-time Stanley Cup winning coach if the opportunity indeed presents itself.
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