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If I’m an owner, executive, or coach in the NFL, I call the Tampa Bay Lightning to see if I can get a behind-the-scenes look at how they quietly built this hockey dynasty.
The Lightning not only just won their second straight Stanley Cup, but they’ve been in the conversation as one of the best teams in the league for nearly a decade. And the franchise’s consistent excellence provides a number of cross-learning lessons that could produce similar results in other sports leagues, including the NFL.
To be fair, I’m not a hockey fan, but I appreciate greatness, and there’s no denying that Tampa Bay is one of the premier organizations in the sport today. The team has played three Stanley Cup finals – and five Eastern Conference finals – in the past seven years. So how did GM Julien BriseBois and head coach Jon Cooper build such an impressive operation in an area that isn’t exactly known as a hockey hotbed?
After diving deep into back-to-back Lightning titles, here are three lessons NFL team builders can use to build an elite squad in an ultra-competitive league:
1) Patience pays off. Jon Cooper is currently the longest-serving coach in the NHL, posting a 384-197-53 record in eight regular seasons, which is a 0.647 points percentage, which is second all-time behind the legendary. Scotty Bowman among the coaches who ‘have recorded at least five seasons. The two-time Stanley Cup winner guided his team to an impressive 70-46 (.603) playoff record. Looking back, it’s easy to see why the Lightning kept the super-successful trainer in place. But it’s important to remember the franchise’s decision to stick with him after Tampa Bay failed in some big games ahead of this recent title frenzy. The team lost a Stanley Cup final in 2015, failed in the Eastern Conference finals in 2016 and 18, and suffered an embarrassing sweep in the first round of the 2019 playoffs after posting the best regular season league record by a wide margin. This trajectory not only led to questions about whether Cooper was the right person to lead the team, but it also prompted observers to suggest that management blow up the team after repeated shortcomings in the playoffs.
To their credit, the Lightning didn’t overreact to the team’s playoff setbacks, and their patience was rewarded with back-to-back championships. In the NFL, the combination of high standards and low patience has prompted some teams to quit successful coaches (SEE: Andy Reid in Philadelphia). And despite their immense success, guys like Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh haven’t been immune to rumors in the hot seat when certain seasons haven’t ended well.
The most important thing coaches need to show management is that they are able to create a consistent winner. While I’m not suggesting that regular season success should completely trump playoff performance, it must have a legitimate weight in the final evaluation. If you want to win championships, you need to qualify for the playoffs first. (An obvious point, yes, but one that many people often forget.) And you can’t overreact to early exits. Despite the heartaches and headaches, the best coaches and teams eventually find their way to the winner’s circle, using past failures to build a stronger team, able to overcome adversity and hoist the trophy.
2) Write, develop and re-sign your stars. The best way to build a consistent competitor is to build the local talent roster. Teams that identify and develop their stars from day one have the ability to build a championship squad around a core of young players who grow together in the system and establish a culture that embodies the franchise. In a Perfect World, a championship roster includes a mix of top picks playing as superstars and developing guys making key contributions in designated roles. This is certainly the case with the Lightning. C Steven Stamkos (No.1 overall pick in 2008), D Victor Hedman (No.2 overall in 2009) and G Andrei Vasilevskiy (No.19 overall in 2012) are top notch players on the ice, while as AR Nikita Kucherov (No. 58 overall in 2011) and C Brayden Point (No. 79 overall in 2014) have surpassed their draft status to thrive as key Tampa Bay players. With the latter two, the coaching staff and the recruiting department deviated from NFL standards to select a pair of players without the prototypical physical dimensions. In each case, the Lightning went for speed and skill over size and strength, and they were rewarded with dramatic returns on their investment.
Looking at the NFL for a similar comparison, I would point to the Kansas City Chiefs’ success with their local approach. The Chiefs snatched a superstar from Patrick Mahomes using aggressive trade on draft day to clinch their QB1. The team surrounded him with an explosive cast of playmakers possessing speed, athleticism, and playing skills. Considering that Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, and Mecole Hardman lacked prototypical dimensions and / or traditional play styles, KC’s ability to identify and develop players outside of the first round reminds me of the Lightning’s team-building approach.
Back-to-back NHL champions and Chiefs have also used similar retention tactics to keep the core together. Both have found ways to manage their salary situation while retaining their main players with agreements that pay them well… but below market value on paper. The astute bookkeeping maneuvers have allowed each team to maintain a well-rounded competitor year after year.
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