How the Stanley Cup Coach Reaches His Team

After blowing a late-game lead and losing on the road, the Green Bay Gamblers received a simple order.

For their next practice, they were to meet Coach Jon Cooper at a local park early in the morning.

But when they arrived, the only trace of Cooper was a note left under a puck in the middle of an empty football field.

"This is what it feels like when we show up to every game and you guys don't," it read. "Figure it out!"

Cooper is now the head coach of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, but he never set out to lead at the highest levels of the sport.

He played hockey in high school in Canada, then lacrosse at Hofstra University, before choosing to pursue a legal career.

But in law school, Cooper got the itch to get involved with the game again. So he became the head hockey coach at Lansing Catholic High, leading the school to its first regional championship in 25 years.

Cooper then quit law, devoting all his time to coaching, beginning in the minor leagues, before eventually taking over the Lightning in 2013. At every stop, he has led with authenticity, putting culture first.

On Sunday, his team lost its bid to become the first three-time Stanley Cup champion since the New York Islanders, but the culture Cooper's instilled in Tampa Bay will likely have the team at the top of the sport for years to come. 

Cooper’s background is unique, as is his style of leadership. When asked what his secret sauce consists of, he humbly suggested: Understanding life, a loyal dog and a great goaltender.

What makes him so special really lies in his messaging. Using his skills as a lawyer, Cooper is able to paint a clear and concise picture for his players to visualize the message. And because he makes it a point to identify with them, even listening to their music in his car, he frequently draws contemporary analogies to drill home his message — preparing for each meeting as if he were getting ready for a day in court.

As leaders, the value of communication is not lost on us. But how much time are we really devoting to our message? How much time are we really pondering ways to say something different?

Here are four strategies to more effectively reach our own team members: 

1. Before a meeting, prepare your key points using a different method — and understand the audience.

2. Speak in a conversational tone — it’s not a lecture. Understand their language.

3. Practice using more alternative words. Our vocabulary must be different or every meeting will sound the same.

4. When talking, remember that it is not necessary to share all of our thoughts at once — make one point clearly. Start our outline with one clear intention.

When asked to sum up his current 2022 team, Cooper said, “They were damn proud.”

And in that pride came the skills to compete at the highest level, ignore the obstacles, and find ways to get the job done.