Jets like what they see in young Copp

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This article was published 11/04/2015 (3900 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a perfect opportunity and the Winnipeg Jets took full advantage of it.

They took another look at their future.

With Game 82 of the NHL’s regular season relegated to non-importance, the Jets opted to take a look at highly touted 2013 fourth-round draft pick Andrew Copp.

The 20-year-old centre, billed as a strong, two-way player, signed with them two weeks ago, deciding to skip his senior year at the University of Michigan.

Copp took advantage as well, recording his first NHL point with an assist on Lee Stempniak’s third-period goal. Copp caused a turnover in the neutral zone and fed Stempniak in full stride over on the right wing. The veteran wheeled in and snapped a shot past Calgary goalie Joni Ortio in the home team’s 5-1 win.

“Really, really enjoyed watching him play,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said after the game in which he gave Copp 13 minutes 16 seconds of playing time in his debut, on 21 shifts. “He was on the right side of the puck all night.

“Made some really good switch-offs down low which shows quite an advanced awareness of defensive structures of the game. And especially the neutral-zone play is completely different for him. And not only did he pick it up and do his job right, he picked up the switches when sometimes other guys got overaggressive.”

Copp had four shots on goal and was 6-3 in the faceoff circle.

“I had him better than that,” Maurice said about the draws.

Copp was one happy camper after his NHL introduction, plus-two in the game playing on a line with Matt Halischuk and Stempniak.

“Those are two guys who are highly skilled players, good players for the team, and it was nice to play with those guys,” the rookie said after the game. “Our line produced pretty well today.

“I trust in my abilities, what got me here. It’s another jump, another step, so I need to improve my game. But once the game started to go, I felt pretty comfortable.”

Copp said when he arrived at the MTS Centre on Saturday, Maurice pulled him into the coach’s office.

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“When I got the rink, coach just pulled me in and said, ‘Enjoy the experience and think about all the people that got you here and all the sacrifices you’ve had to make,’ ” he said. “That was the pre-game. And then I was nervous going out there and not wanting to embarrass myself, but obviously play the game.

“I had a lot of fun out there, played to my strengths and played decently well, I think.”

In his first two weeks of being around the Jets and the NHL, Copp said he has seen much.

“I’d say (to) enjoy it, especially these first couple of weeks of being here,” the native of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. “You just take in everything, be a sponge and learn from different guys.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca