After losing again in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired coach Sheldon Keefe, whom they hired on Nov. 20, 2019. At the time of his dismissal, Keefe was the fifth longest-tenured head coach in the NHL. Now that his clock will reset, here’s a list of the longest-tenured coaches still employed in the League.
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10. Paul Maurice – Florida Panthers (June 22, 2022)
Paul Maurice has coached in the NHL for 26 seasons, most recently taking the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023. He’s compiled a 94-56-14 record in 164 games in two seasons with the Panthers, winning the Atlantic Division crown in 2024. After last season’s run to the Final, he’s now 18-10 in the playoffs with Florida.Â
9. Peter DeBoer – Dallas Stars (June 21, 2022)
Pete DeBoer, who was hired one day before Maurice was in Florida, just became the first coach in NHL history to improve to 8-0 in Game 7s, leading his current team, the Dallas Stars, over his former team, the Vegas Golden Knights, in the 2024 first-round series. The Stars are his fifth head coaching job, and in two seasons, he’s won the Central Division title once, with a 99-42-23 record in 164 games. His postseason totals are 14-13 with the Stars.
8. John Tortorella – Philadelphia Flyers (June 17, 2022)
John Tortorella is a two-time Jack Adams Award winner and 2004 Stanley Cup champion who coaches the Philadelphia Flyers, his fifth NHL club. In two seasons behind the bench on Broad Street, he’s compiled a 69-71-24 record and has yet to qualify for the playoffs with the rebuilding Flyers.
7. Bruce Cassidy – Vegas Golden Knights (June 14, 2022)
Bruce Cassidy won the Jack Adams Award with the Boston Bruins before relocating to Las Vegas in 2022. He guided the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup championship in his first season. He’s led Vegas to the playoffs two straight seasons and is 96-51-17 in 164 regular-season games, plus 19-10 in the playoffs.
6. Martin St. Louis – Montreal Canadiens (Feb. 9, 2022)
A former Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, Martin St. Louis took over the Montreal Canadiens in February 2022. He’s helped them rebuild in three seasons with a 75-100-26 record in 201 games. As an up-and-coming team, the Canadiens have yet to qualify for the playoffs.Â
5. Andre Tourigny – Arizona Coyotes/NHL Utah (July 1, 2021)
The Arizona Coyotes hired Andre Tourigny in July 2021 and he’s retained his job as coach with the team being sold and moving to Utah for the 2024-25 season. In Arizona, his record was 89-131-26 in 246 games, with no playoff appearances.
4. Rod Brind’Amour – Carolina Hurricanes (May 8, 2018)
Rod Brind’Amour won the Jack Adams Award in 2021 with the Carolina Hurricanes, the same team he was captain of when they won the Stanley Cup in 2006. In 452 games, his regular-season record is 278-130-44. Under Brind’Amour, Carolina has won at least one playoff series in six consecutive seasons.
3. Jared Bednar – Colorado Avalanche (Aug. 25, 2016)
Jared Bednar is now the third longest-tenured coach in the NHL after taking over duties with the Colorado Avalanche in the summer of 2016. After eight seasons with Colorado, he’s earned a 341-217-60 mark in 618 games and won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
2. Mike Sullivan – Pittsburgh Penguins (Dec. 12, 2015)
Mike Sullivan took over the Pittsburgh Penguins in December 2015, a move that led to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017. In 671 games over nine seasons, he’s compiled a 375-219-77 record, including 47-42 in the playoffs.
1. Jon Cooper – Tampa Bay Lightning (Mar. 25, 2013)
The longest-tenured coach in the NHL, Jon Cooper has been with the Tampa Bay Lightning for 12 seasons and 879 games, earning a 525-279-75 record. In the postseason, he guided the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021 and Final appearances in 2015 and 2022. He has an 87-63 postseason record.