TAMPA, Fla. — Every year, there is one day that is Jon Cooper’s favorite on the calendar.

The Tampa Bay Lightning head coach’s annual charity fishing tournament brings the entire organization together. This year, even the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, took part.

What You Need To Know

  • Tampa Bay Lightning Coach Jon Cooper hosts a charity fishing tournament every year

  • Coop's Catch for Kids benefits pediatric cancer research

  • Since it began in 2016, Coach Cooper has helped raised more than $750,000

  • The Lightning begin their quest for another Stanley Cup in the first round of the playoffs against the Florida Panthers

Coop’s Catch for Kids benefits pediatric cancer research. And in the past nine years, Cooper’s raised over $750,000.

“I know I’m a hockey coach for an NHL team, but to have another purpose outside of that, this is it,” he said.

From its humble beginnings in 2016 to now, Coop’s Catch raises funds, awareness and inspires. There is one goal for all the kids who take part in the annual event. And it has nothing to do with fishing.

“I hope they get to forget everything that brings them down in life and for four hours, it’s the greatest time of their life,” Cooper said. “It’s humbling, it’s heartfelt, it’s sad, it’s happy. It’s every emotion you could possibly have.”

That also could sum up Cooper’s NHL career. As one of the most improbable head coaches in all of professional sports, this former lawyer-turned-hockey guru made Tampa Bay the toast of the NHL world.

He tapped into something with the Bolts and helped produce back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Earlier this season, Cooper became the fastest head coach to reach 500 wins with just one franchise. But despite all of that success on the ice, a couple of hours on a boat with a fishing pole is what brings him the most joy.

As much as Coop’s Catch is for those kids battling this hideous disease, in so many ways, it’s more about the ones who don’t make it. Like Tripp Nugent. Trippy was a huge Lightning fan. Last year, he was the guest of honor on Coach Cooper’s boat during the annual fishing tournament.

Sadly, the 7-year-old lost his battle with cancer a couple of weeks after this year’s charity event. Trippy, and so many others like him, are the reason Cooper will continue to fight the good fight for them.

“Maybe somewhere along the line, I get to play a tiny part in helping find a cure for something that has devastated all of us some way or the other,” Cooper said.

For a man who is judged on his wins and losses, Coach Cooper continues to pile up the W’s.