Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper has apologized for sexist remarks he made after his team's playoff loss to the Florida Panthers.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has apologized for sexist remarks he made after his team's playoff loss to the Florida Panthers.
In Game 5 of the series, the one that knocked Tampa Bay out, the Lightning had two goals waved off for goalie interference.
Cooper was skeptical of the calls, calling them a "turning point" of their do-or-die contest, and he complained that battles in front of the net aren't "allowed" anymore.
"We might as well put skirts on them then, if that's how it's gonna be. … I think we're letting goalies off the hook," he said.
Cooper caught lots of flak for those comments, which were criticized as sexist.
Two days later, he apologized.
"It’s one of those minutes if you could just reach back and grab the words back, I would’ve," Cooper said on Wednesday at Tampa Bay's exit interviews. "Quite frankly, it was wrong, and I’ve got to go and explain myself to my girls. … I sincerely apologize to all I offended. "It's pained me more than the actual series loss itself."
Tampa Bay has made the playoffs in 10 of his 11 seasons on the job and won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021.
They made their third straight Stanley Cup Final in 2022 but lost to the Colorado Avalanche in six games. This is now the second consecutive year they have lost in the first round. They lost in 2023 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto's first series win since 2004.
Florida awaits the winner of the Bruins-Maple Leafs series. Boston leads that series 3-2 and hosts Game 6 Thursday night.
Cooper's apology comes at a time when the NHL is under scrutiny for its treatment of women.
In March, former NHL player Akim Aliu accused former Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters of using racial slurs against him. Peters was fired by the Flames shortly after the allegations were made.
The NHL has also been criticized for its handling of sexual assault allegations against former Chicago Blackhawks player Brad Aldrich. Aldrich was convicted of sexual assault in 2023.
The NHL has since implemented a number of policies to address these issues, including a new sexual harassment policy and a new diversity and inclusion policy.
It remains to be seen whether Cooper's apology will be enough to quell the criticism of the NHL's treatment of women. However, it is a step in the right direction.
