Jon Cooper used to stand before the bench as a lawyer, now he stands behind one.

And if he used to defend people, nobody has to defend his record as a hockey coach.

Everywhere he coaches, he wins. Midget AAA in Michigan, junior in two different leagues, in the pros with the Norfolk Admirals in the American Hockey League. Hes a rising star.

Would the Edmonton Oilers ever hire Cooper? Who knows?

He grew up in Prince George, went to school in the U.S. on a lacrosse scholarship, worked on Wall Street, then got his law degree and opened his own practice, before hockey took over his life and he decided to do it full-time about nine years ago.

At the least, the Oilers should be interviewing the young bright coach.

The Oilers are keeping their coach search ultra secret, although one of the leading candidates, Brent Sutter, has not had an interview with Oilers since working the bench for Canada at the world championship in May. Oilers team president Kevin Lowe was Canadas general manager.

Oilers associate coach Ralph Krueger, who could very well be the front-runner because he knows the team and the players, is still waiting for a decision, too.

As for Cooper, his team just won the AHL championship in Norfolk, Va., 28 wins in a row in league play from Super Bowl Sunday on, and they finished it off with 10 straight wins in the playoffs, winning 43 of their last 46 games. He hasnt been told that another team wants to talk to him, but, while he loves working for the Tampa Bar Lightning and is grateful for the opportunity to coach their farm club, surely an NHL feeler will come. If not the Oilers, then the Washington Capitals, also looking for a head coach.

My name is hot right now because of what weve done and how we did it, but I havent formally been contacted by anybody, Cooper said.

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Oilers should consider AHL’s Jon Cooper for coaching job