Jon Cooper Apologizes For Comment About Goalies Wearing Skirts

Jon Cooper has apologized for a remark he made on Monday after his Tampa Bay Lightning were eliminated in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers, in a game that included two disallowed Lightning goals thanks to controversial goaltender interference calls.

His remark? That goalie may as well wear skirts if the calls are going to be as soft as they were on Monday night.

While the Lightning lost 6-1, two of the Panthers' goals were empty-netters, and so having even one of those disallowed goals on the board could've changed the course of the game.

Cooper broke down both incidents in great detail and then questioned why skaters are allowed to joust with one another "like it's prison rules," but goalies are seemingly coddled.

"We might as well put skirts on them then if that's how it's going to be," Cooper said. "I mean they have to battle through stuff too."

While most of us knew what he meant by that, the use of the word "skirt" in a derisive fashion sent the people into a tizzy…. or at least pretended to be upset.

At this point, we all know what he meant. That's more a figure of speech than an indictment of female hockey players, and making that leap is pretty insane. We all know women can play hockey and can do it well. Jon Cooper coaches the Lightning, the only team in NHL history to have had Manon Rhéaume — a woman — play in a couple of preseason games.

Also, I thought we were trying to do away with gendered clothing, maaaaaan. The same people who say that are likely the same ones who got mad at Cooper's remark. 

The reason you just blow off this kind of thing is because the goalposts are constantly and arbitrarily moving, so there's no sense in trying to abide by them.

While the outrage is completely ridiculous, on Thursday, Cooper still felt the need to open his end-of-season press conference with an apology.

Jon Cooper Apologized Even Though He Probably Didn't Need To

"I made an inappropriate analogy about goalies and skirts," Cooper said on Wednesday. "You know, it’s one of those moments if you could just reach back and grab the words back, I would have."

He also talked about being a massive supporter of women's hockey and has girls who play sports himself.

Jon Cooper seems like a nice guy and he's a great coach. Furthermore, it's his prerogative as to whether or not he wants to apologize. If that helps him get through the summer, more power to him.

But it's just so weird that an adult had to stand in front of other adults to apologize for making a comment about "goalies and skirts."

We all knew what Cooper was saying — goalies are treated with kid gloves when it comes to these net-front battles — and many fans agree. I do (maybe not necessarily in both of those goals from Game 5). 

But because he said something about skirts it became an issue.