Lightning players trade hockey sticks for fishing poles in support of pediatric cancer research

TAMPA, Fla. - For Weston Hermann, Monday's tournament was anything but another day out on the water fishing with his family. The 18-year-old avid hockey player is reminded every time he casts a line of everything he has already overcome and continues to overcome. 

"I've had three brain surgeries, two rounds of chemotherapy and a bunch of treatments," Hermann explained. "I've been in remission and then not. It's kind of been a lot."

Diagnosed with a form of brain cancer 11 years ago, he has been fighting his diagnosis ever since. During his fight, however, the hockey fan found a surprising ally in his fight – Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.

"The relationship that we've had throughout the years has been something that I would never have imagined," Hermann said. "Look at what he is doing here. This whole thing wouldn't happen without Cooper."

Cooper hosted the seventh annual "Coop’s Catch for Kids" on Monday. It's his annual charity fishing tournament that he and the Bolts have helped raise money in the fight against pediatric cancer. 

All proceeds go to the J5 Foundation, the Cooper Family’s charitable organization that was founded in 2022. The event was first launched in 2016 by Cooper and his wife, Jessie.

"It's a special day for me, personally," Cooper said. "This was a vision eight years ago, and now it has turned into something bigger and better than I ever thought it could possibly be."

With his entire roster pitching in on their off day, Cooper and the Bolts hit the water for a day of fishing with the very families and kids they're trying to help most – but they weren't alone. 

For the second straight year, Cooper caught, not the big one, but The Great One, as the NHL's all-time leading scorer Wayne Gretzky joined in on the fun. 

"When you're going through what some of these families go through, it's good to have people like this organization put smiles on [their] faces," Gretzky said. 

As special of a day as this was for Cooper, his players seemed to be enjoying it even more.

"For a lot of these players, this is one they circle on the calendar," Cooper said. "There's a little internal competition going on with all the guys."

The real catch, however, is what Coop's Catch for Kids stands for. 

"The smiles we put on kids' faces and their families, it makes everything worth it," Cooper said.

Raising more than a quarter of a million dollars this year alone, Cooper is helping cast a beacon of hope for pediatric cancer patients on land, sea and ice. 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA BAY:

• Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
• Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
• Download the SkyTower Radar app
• Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter