Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning have decided going back to basics might be for the best after yet another playoff exit in the NHL. Now, a retired three-time Stanley Cup champion is returning to the Big Guava, though in a new capacity.
The Lightning experienced plenty of success with Pat Maroon in the organization. Therefore, as the tide got rough for Cooper and the Bolts, the recently retired forward is joining the team in Cigar City in a new role off the ice and the action.
Instead, the Lightning announced Maroon will be serving in a full-time capacity as team ambassador. Moreover, the new assignments won’t stop there for the 37-year-old.
“In his new role, he will work closely with the Lightning in a variety of ways, including community appearances, growing the game of hockey in the Tampa Bay Area and supporting the organization in other facets. Maroon will also serve as an analyst for the team’s revamped television broadcast during the 2025-26 season,” the announcement read, via NHL.com.
Jon Cooper and Pat Maroon during the 2022 Stanley Cup Final
Excited for the future
Maroon wasn’t precisely beloved by the rest of the NHL fanbases, but he was a fan-favorite in Tampa. The Lightning took him in as a free agent in 2019, and since an everlasting bond was built. Now, Maroon is back with the Bolts, following brief stints with the Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.
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“Being back in Tampa, winning two Stanley Cups, the fans mean a lot to me,” Maroon admitted. “They’ve done everything, sold out hundreds of consecutive games. Now I get the time to chat with some fans and hang out and be part of the community and support the Tampa community. It’s going to be awesome, so I’m really looking forward to that.”
Just shy of four straight
Though far from being the fastest or most skilled player on a nightly basis, Maroon thrived in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. When the space narrowed down and players were hemmed in on the ice, that’s when his big size made the difference.
As a result, it’s no wonder Maroon completed a rare back-to-back-to-back in the NHL. He won his first with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, and followed it up with consecutive Stanley Cup conquests with Cooper’s Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
Had it not been for the Colorado Avalanche, Maroon would have hoisted a fourth Cup in 2022. Still, when he called it a career during the 2024–25 season, his trophy cabinet was more than full. Now, he hopes to help the Bolts capture their fourth Cup in franchise history but in a new place.
