TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach George Gwozdecky is leaving the team to pursue other opportunities.
The announcement Monday comes a week after Tampa Bay was beaten in the Stanley Cup Final by the Chicago Blackhawks.
Gwozdecky was on coach Jon Cooper's staff the past two seasons. He joined the Lightning on Aug. 9, 2013, after serving as the head coach at the University of Denver for 19 seasons.
In a statement released by the team, Gwozdecky said that he "fulfilled" his obligation with the Lightning and was "going to take some time away to consider my next career step."
En route to the Stanley Cup Final, which Chicago won in six games, the Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings, the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers.