The details are foggy of Cooper's first Coliseum experience, but the Tampa Bay Lightning coach recalled one vivid memory on the eve of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals there against the New York Islanders on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; USA, CBC, SN, TVAS). The best-of-7 series is tied.
"I was with my mom," Cooper said Wednesday. "The fans had a $5 pool going in the stands and my mom won it. We had fun, and if she was still with us, she would remember exactly when we went and everything."
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Cooper, now 53 years old, was visiting Hofstra University, where he went on to play lacrosse for four years and graduate in 1989. With Nassau Coliseum across the street from campus, he attended several Islanders games during his college days, rooting on friends on the team at the time, including forward
Brad Lauer
, whom he knew from Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, and forwards
Derek King
and
Mick Vukota
, and defensemen
Jeff Finley
and
Joe Reekie
.
The Islanders are playing their final season at the Coliseum in Uniondale, New York before moving into UBS Arena in Elmont next season. A crowd of 12,978 is expected Thursday.
"I didn't much think of ever being an NHL coach back in college, let alone think I would coach an NHL playoff game there," Cooper said. "It's a cool environment to be in. I'm looking forward to it. It will be a lot of fun."
Cooper has coached the Lightning in regular-season games at Nassau Coliseum, but the previous two times they played the Islanders in the playoffs (2016, 2020), the games were at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and Rogers Place in Edmonton. Tampa Bay won each series.
Cooper said the crowd at Barclays Center five years ago provided plenty of energy, but there is something about the Coliseum with its low roof and smaller confines that allow fans to feel like they're part of the action.
"I went to a ton of Islander games when some of my buddies were playing for them and I used to sit up there in the upper deck and cheer for them, and it was just a great atmosphere," Cooper said. "That little time that they moved from Nassau (2015-18) was kind of a sad time because I liked going back there.
"They have passionate fans, and you have to love that about being in the National Hockey League and being around and being in different buildings where the fans are so passionate. I know how it is because I was there firsthand and I saw how they were when they came to our lacrosse games."
