Jon Cooper, the Tampa Bay Lightning coach, began his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday by apologizing for using an improper analogy. He admitted to regretting his comment about putting skirts on goalies.
Cooper voiced frustration after his team’s Game 5 playoff loss on Monday, citing two judgments on goalie interference that influenced the game’s outcome. The NHL situation room concluded that the Lightning’s two goals were disallowed due to interference with Sergei Bobrovsky.
Cooper, the league’s longest-serving coach, admitted his error, particularly given that he is the father of two athletic daughters and a fan of women’s hockey.
He went on to say, “If I could take back those words, I would.” Cooper intends to discuss his remarks with his daughters individually, acknowledging the gravity of his words. He sincerely apologized to everyone he insulted, underlining that his statements upset him more than the playoff loss itself.
Tampa Bay has made the playoffs in ten of Cooper’s eleven seasons as coach, winning the Stanley Cup consecutively in 2020 and 2021.
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