Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper will not be behind the bench for the team's first two games after the Olympic break, reportedly due to the passing of his father. The Lightning are set to play the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes in consecutive nights, with assistant coach Rob Zettler reportedly taking over head coaching duties in Cooper's absence. Cooper, who has coached Tampa Bay since 2012 and led them to two Stanley Cup titles, recently served as head coach for Canada's men's hockey team at the Olympics, where they lost the gold medal game to the United States.
It is unclear if Cooper will return for the team's game against the Buffalo Sabres later in the week. The Lightning currently hold first place in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference this season.