Jon Cooper’s bench management has Florida Panthers fans raising their eyebrows
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Jonathan Ouimet
Feb 19, 2026 (3:31 PM)
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Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Jon Cooper limiting Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart again has Florida Panthers fans questioning, because the Olympics are supposed to be bigger than NHL grudges.
A viral post on Wednesday summed up the frustration in one line. “Once again, barely any ice-time” for Marchand and Reinhart.
The same post adds a second gut punch. Sam Bennett was a healthy scratch.
That’s where the noise starts, loud and messy. Cooper is the Tampa Bay Lightning head coach, and Marchand, Reinhart, and Bennett are Florida Panthers players.
Fans are connecting those dots fast, fair or not. Tampa and Florida don’t exactly exchange Christmas cards.
Here’s what’s not in dispute. Cooper was named Team Canada’s head coach for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.
And those Panthers names are not fringe roster guys. Team Canada’s published roster includes Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett.
So when two get “barely any ice-time” and the third sits, it’s going to light up phones. Especially in a single-elimination tournament where every shift feels like gold.
Maybe it’s matchup-based. Maybe it’s a bench-length call because Cooper trusts other looks in tight moments.
Maybe it’s as simple as Canada having too many elite options and someone has to lose minutes. That’s the real problem with a stacked roster.
Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning shadow lingers
You can feel the fan mood, it’s suspicion mixed with exhaustion, because nobody wants the Olympics to turn into an NHL rivalry side quest.
The Panthers trio brings clear utility. Marchand can tilt momentum with forecheck pressure, Reinhart cleans up around the net, and Bennett thrives when the game gets nasty.
If Cooper wants to quiet this, the solution is straightforward. Give them a defined role and stick with it for more than a few shifts.
Because the questions are only getting louder. Every time Canada wins without them, people argue it proves they weren’t needed.
And every time Canada struggles without them, people argue it proves the coaching is personal. That’s the trap.
Some Florida Panthers fans are quietly enjoying the irony here, because fewer minutes for Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett also means less wear and tear.
In a short, intense tournament, all it takes is one awkward hit or blocked shot to change a season, so “keep them healthy” becomes the selfish but honest mindset.
They’d rather see their guys come home fresh than watch them get run through the boards in a Canada game that doesn’t even feel like it’s using them properly.
The next game is the real test. If Marchand, Reinhart, and Bennett stay stapled to the margins, this story won’t go away.
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