15th year retired defenseman J.P. Cote(24) was a scout for San Jose Sharks in his first year away from pro hockey and has picked up a nice new role with former club Tampa Bay Lightning as their Director Of Player Development.
He left the game at the end of 2017/2018 after appearing in 19 games with Grenoble, his 2nd season playing in Ligue Magnus.
The rugged forward has 60 AHL fighting majors to his credit, 623 games played in the league, a 2007 and 2012 Calder Cup Championship and left with a monster +148 rating.
At 37-years old, this is the perfect fit for the former pugilist.
Jean-Philippe Cote (24)
Entering his 10th pro season, defenseman Jean-Phillipe Cote(24) becomes the first signing for Tampa Bay Lightning‘s brand new AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch after winning the Calder Cup, his second, with Norfolk Admirals last season.
He inked a two-year minor league deal that will keep him in the system through 2014.
The 6’2″ 210 lbs. 30-year old started the year playing 10 games with Ontario Reign of the ECHL (his first appearance in the league) before signing a pto with the Admirals in mid-November that was bumped up to a standard player contract a month later.
Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 9th round pick in the 2000 draft (#265 overall), the big blue liner has appeared in 8 NHL games with Montreal Canadiens and won his first Calder Cup with Hamilton Bulldogs in 2007.
He spent his first 5 seasons with the team skating in 354 games with the team.
He may not be the most prolific scoring d-man but he’s accountable force out there and even put up career highs last season for assists (12), points (15) and plus/minus (+26) and postseason games played, so he’s a good guy to have on any team.
