Talking Seattle, Johnson and the NHL
As The Showcase golf exhibition celebrated its fifth event a few weeks back at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course, some great hockey players got a chance to swing the golf clubs for a good cause.
They also weighed in on the anticipated expansion to the northwest, as well as a player with roots deep in this area.
JON COOPER has been the coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2013, leading the team to the Stanley Cup finals in 2015.
Joining the Tampa Bay roster in Cooper’s first year was that center with northwest roots — former Coeur d’Alene Laker and Spokane Chief Tyler Johnson.
“Tyler, he’s a big part of it,” said Cooper of his quick visit for the exhibition. “I wanted to come up here and make sure he knew who the guy is. And I found out that he’s the guy up here. Tyler and I have been together a long time. With the way he conducts himself and how the fans treat him, he’s a class act. I’ve got to thank Tyler. He’s a big reason why we’ve had the success that we’ve had.”
Cooper was the coach of the Atlantic Division in the 2018 All-Star Game. Tampa Bay lost in seven games to eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington.
Johnson won the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup during the 2008-09 season.
“He’s a serial winner, and you love to have those kind of guys around,” Cooper said. “Winning seems to follow him around, and it has with us. When we went to the Stanley Cup final, he was a huge part of that. And you love to have those guys on your team.”
COOPER WAS born in Prince George, British Columbia, a familiar stop for Johnson during his days with the Spokane Chiefs.
The NHL has been discussing expanding to Seattle in the coming years.
“I’m a B.C. (British Columbia) boy, so coming out west, the family is surely going to be happy,” Cooper said. “The only way people could see us was in Vancouver before. Seattle will be an easy one for them.”
Wayne Gretzky is excited for the market as well.
“It’s a matter of time,” Gretzky said. “They’re going to get a franchise. It’s going to be wonderful for the game. Geographically, with Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Los Angeles, we need them. Seattle is a great sports town. They support their football, baseball and soccer teams. It’s going to be positive for our sport. Our sport is in a great place right now. We’ve got better players than we’ve had before. It’s all a positive.”
IN CASE you missed it, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights advanced to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to Washington.
“To be honest, it could have gone two ways,” said Cooper of Vegas’ run. “They had an owner with a vision, general manager with a plan, and a coach that got the most out of his players. And that’s why they had success.”
As far as watching it?
“It’s tough to root for the guys,” Cooper said. “Gerard Gallant (Vegas coach) and Barry Trotz (then-Washington and now coach with New York Islanders) are two of the class guys in the league. But when you get knocked out that late, you can’t watch the first couple of games because it stings. I was happy for either guy that would have won. We’ve been so close three of the last four years. It kind of eggs you on.”
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.