Jon Cooper expected to coach 4 Nations and 2026 Olympics in Milan

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported on Wednesday that Jon Cooper is expected to be named Team Canada’s head coach for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

The 4 Nations Face-Off is an international tournament that will be played Feb. 12-20, 2025, with players representing the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. The event is set to replace the NHL All-Star game as a way to give fans a preview of the Olympic stage.

Cooper was originally named the head coach for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, before the NHL decided not to send players due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, he's only furthered his case, leading the Lightning to their third straight Stanley Cup final after winning in both 2020 and 2021.

The Lightning head coach was also an assistant for Team North American at the World Cup and the head coach for Team Canada at the 2017 World Championship.

The decision is expected to be announced after the Stanley Cup Final.