Cooper plays into Cuban theme with outfit at 2026 Stadium Series

Jon Cooper is just Havana a good time at the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series.

The Tampa Bay Lightning head coach dressed to impress at Raymond James Stadium before the team’s matchup against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, paying homage to the local Cuban theme of Tampa.

Donning a white hat and suit with a red undershirt and a gold necklace, Cooper walked into the stadium with the rest of his team as the pyrotechnics went off around the players and pirates welcomed them onto the ice.

Tampa is known for having a strong Cuban community. Ybor City, in Tampa, is one of the first major Cuban hubs in the United States, dating back to the late 1800s.

"A tip of a cap, no pun intended to the heritage in Tampa," Cooper said after the game. "And our staff, we’ve been known to hit Ybor City a little bit and smoke some cigars, as a little staff outing. We thought it was apropos to kind of go down that road and then it grew. It grew into gold chains, and canes, and rings. This event doesn’t come around very often, either. It was a part of it, it was a ton of fun.”

The Lightning arrived at the stadium wearing full Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniforms earlier in the afternoon, paying homage to the NFL team that calls Raymond James Stadium home. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield and tackle Tristan Wirfs walked in with the Lightning.

"It meant the world to us that those guys wanted to lead us in,” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. "Everyone loves the creamsicle (jersey). It's so fun to play here, live here and support each team throughout our season so this is just our way to pay our respects to them."

On the other end, the Bruins arrived dressed as Revolutionary War-era soldiers, as not just a nod to history but also to their NFL counterparts, the New England Patriots.

NHL.com staff writers David Satriano and Anna Kulesa contributed to this report