Jets need help, so they call the Copp

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This article was published 02/11/2016 (3261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Centre Andrew Copp returned to the Winnipeg Jets Wednesday. It was, in part, his reward for a strong performance in the AHL but also a direct outcome of the injury problems currently afflicting the NHL club.

The 22-year-old Ann Arbor, Mich., product was assigned to the Manitoba Moose after a strong pre-season and found adjusting to life in the minors was a challenge after playing 77 regular-season games with the Jets last year.

“You had to find a way to understand it wasn’t a step backwards,” Copp said before boarding the team flight to Washington, where the Jets will play the second half of a home-and-home with the Capitals tonight.

“It was a step to the side, a different route to where I want to go… finding that comfort with the decision was probably the hardest part.”

Copp has five assists in eight games and his responsibilities with the Moose far outweighed his fourth-line duties as an NHL rookie.

“Playing a lot of minutes, getting a lot of puck touches, I think playing power play… penalty kill, out for important faceoffs — it’s been important for me to get that time in,” said Copp. “I’m pretty happy with the way things went down there… I think going down will help that process. I look at it as an investment and find the positives out of it. Now that I’m back, I have no idea where I slot in the lineup (or) what my role will be… I’m trying to show I’m more than a fourth-line centre.”

The Jets put veteran winger Shawn Matthias on injured reserve Wednesday after he fell awkwardly and suffered a lower-body injury in a 3-2 loss to the Caps Tuesday at the MTS Centre. Matthias must remain out of the lineup for at least a week on IR.

Forwards Drew Stafford and Bryan Little are also on IR while blue-liners Tyler Myers and Mark Stuart missed Tuesday’s game but could return to the lineup tonight. Moose defenceman Julian Melchiori was recalled Tuesday and played in tandem with Ben Chiarot after Stuart was ruled out.

“We’ve got five veterans out of our lineup, so it’s good to bring a guy in from the minors who’s got at least a year under his belt and (Copp) fits right into the room,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “The entire year, you wouldn’t have had 10 clips of him making a mistake defensively.”

The plan, in short, is to turn Copp into a more all-around player at the NHL level.

“We’re trying, I don’t know if we say change his role, but put him back in a position that he was in when he came out of college,” Maurice said. “He was an important two-way player who could handle the puck and make some plays.”

Copp is eager to push the limits of his playing role, but understands the importance of conforming to the team concept.

“Anything good that will happen for me personally is to come through the team,” he said.

A hard lesson

Adam Lowry scored Tuesday’s tying goal but also lost a draw and a crucial puck battle on Jay Beagle’s winning goal with 30 seconds left in regulation. After the game, Lowry took full responsibility for the mistake.

“I really hope there’s a valuable lesson without a confidence loss because he’s played as well as we could’ve hoped going back two years ago,” said Maurice.

Those Caps are tough

Chiarot has a healthy respect for tonight’s opponent but is also confident the Jets can beat them after almost sending the game to overtime on Tuesday.

“You look at their lineup — that’s a team that’s a contending team for the Stanley Cup,” said Chiarot. “That’s a veteran team. They’ve got scoring depth, they’ve got veteran defencemen and a great goaltender… I think it starts with defending. We did a good job of keeping most of their shots to the outside, jumping on the rebounds, jumping on the loose pucks and played well off the rush.”

Skills night on tap

The Jets are staging their fifth-annual skills competition on Dec. 16, beginning at 7 p.m. at the MTS Centre.

Proceeds from the Winnipeg Jets Skills Competition will benefit the True North Youth Foundation and the NHLPA Goals and Dreams Fund.

A limited pre-sale for Jets season-ticket holders and wait-list members begins at noon today and ends Sunday at 10 p.m.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday at 10 a.m. Ticket prices are $20, $15 and $10 with service charges included. All seats are reserved. Tickets are available through www.winnipegjets.com/skills.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14