The Tampa Bay Lightning marked a milestone on Tuesday night as head coach Jon Cooper coached his 1,000th game with the franchise. To commemorate the occasion, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. produced 1,000 custom cigars at the request of Cooper’s assistant coaches.
Following the Lightning’s 4–2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, Cooper was presented with the cigars along with a custom humidor. The cigars were created exclusively for the team and were delivered directly to the Lightning organization.
“We are very proud to be a partner and exclusive cigar maker of the Tampa Bay Lightning,” said Drew Newman, fourth-generation owner of J.C. Newman. “As Tampa is ‘Cigar City,’ it is only fitting the coaches decided to celebrate Coop’s 1,000th game by lighting special Tampa Bay Lightning cigars.”
Cooper is just the fifth coach in NHL history to reach 1,000 games with a single team and currently stands as the league’s longest-tenured head coach. A known cigar enthusiast, Cooper previously told Cigar Aficionado that his appreciation for cigars began during the team’s championship years. “I equated cigars to winning and I haven’t stopped,” he said.
J.C. Newman also operates the Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge inside the Lightning’s arena, a space highlighted by Cigar Aficionado for allowing fans to enjoy cigars while watching live NHL action. The 1,000 cigars produced for Cooper’s milestone are not being released for retail sale.
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