Copp fitting in nicely with Rangers’ starry cast

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This article was published 18/04/2022 (1239 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s been no case of stage fright for Andrew Copp.

The long-time Winnipeg Jets forward has opened on Broadway to rave reviews, with five-star performances night after night to solidify the New York Rangers as a serious Stanley Cup contender. Now, he’s preparing to pull back the curtain and face his old team for the first time on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

“Weird,” is how Copp described the pending reunion to reporters following his team’s skate on Monday morning. “I’m seeing a bunch of the guys for dinner tonight. I don’t know, I think you can prepare for it all that you want to, but once you get onto the ice (Tuesday) for warmup and see them, it’s going to be a little weird.”

Copp, 27, played 501 regular-season and playoff games with the Jets over parts of eight seasons and has made himself right at home in Manhattan, even if he doesn’t quite yet have a place to call his own. He’s been rooming with former Jets teammate Jacob Trouba, although that arrangement is coming to an end this week.

“Just kind of like two brothers back in the house. A lot of smack talk, a lot of laughs,” he said. “It was really good. But kind of enjoy space, too.”

On the ice, Copp has taken residence on an impressive second-line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome, putting up 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in his first 13 games. The Rangers have gone 9-4-0 in that span and are currently tied with Carolina for top spot in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 49-21-6 and six regular-season games remaining.

“I’m not surprised at all,” said Trouba. “The past years he played lower in the lineup, or at least in Winnipeg he played on that third line or even sometimes the fourth line, and he’s got a chance to play with really good players now and make plays. He’s a really good hockey player and it’s been fun watching him and Bread (Panarin) … two different worlds of mine collide. It’s pretty fun for me.”

Copp’s versatility in Winnipeg added to his value, as he was able to bounce up and down the lineup, from wing to centre, becoming a player former head coach Paul Maurice — and, midway through this year, interim bench boss Dave Lowry — could trust. He’s been thrust into a bit more of an offensive role right now, one he is flourishing in.

“Some of the success has obviously been very good, production-wise especially,” said Copp. “I can kind of play with whoever in any situation and be successful and make the guys around me better. I feel like that’s kind of what’s been my calling card in my career in how I play the game and it’s kind of shown so far. In Winnipeg, I changed line almost every game, so playing with new guys wasn’t necessarily a new thing for me. Comfortability in that role has led to some success here, for sure.”

His new coach, Gerard Gallant, has become an instant fan, admitting Copp has exceeded expectations.

“I expected him to be a good, solid player. He’s playing with some pretty skilled guys there, so he’s probably getting a few more points than I thought he would, but I like what he’s bringing to our team,” Gallant said. “I like the way that he plays an overall game. He’s scored some big goals for us and made some good plays. I really like him.”

Overall, Copp has established new career highs this year in goals (18), assists (30) and points (48). Pretty good time for a pending unrestricted free agent who will likely cash in this summer, which is why Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff moved him for a pair of second-round draft picks (one of which becomes a first-rounder if the Rangers win two playoff rounds) and young prospect Morgan Barron.

“Obviously, I miss him a lot around here,” good friend and frequent Winnipeg linemate Adam Lowry said Monday. “It will be good to see him in the big city. I know he enjoyed his time here and he’s really enjoying his time in New York. Obviously, they’ve been on a pretty good run and they’re poised to make a deep playoff run. We’re excited for him. It’s going to be different going up against him rather than having him on my wing. I look forward to seeing him in the circle and I look forward to battling against him.”

Copp, selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, said he cherished his time in Winnipeg and understands that professional sports is a business, one that can result in tough decisions being made.

“I’d say first and foremost, just all of the friendships. I feel like I had a pretty good relationship with everyone in the room,” Copp said.

“A lot of the group had been there a long time and the new guys were kind of a pretty seamless fit. You walk in the room and you’re able to have a real conversation with everyone in the room and feel so comfortable after seven years. Not just the players, but the staff and the coaches and everything like that. Obviously that changes when you come to a new team and it’s been great here as well. But just the amount of people that had an impact on me, that I’m close with there, is kind of hard to measure. That will be the weirdest part, for sure.”

Copp got close to hockey’s Holy Grail in the spring of 2018 with the Jets, as they made it to the Western Conference final only to fall short against the Vegas Golden Knights — led by his current coach, Gallant. He’s hoping to make the most of this latest opportunity.

“Luckily we have first place to play for, so that really helps our jump and obviously still a young-ish team,” said Copp.

“As a team we haven’t really done this before in terms of making a playoff run with this group. Usually, when you’re Washington or a team that has been in the playoffs for the last 12 years, or a team that’s out of it, it’s kind of hard to get up for it when you know playoffs are two weeks away. But luckily for us we have first place to play for and just a new excitement for a lot of these guys to go through for the first time and the first time as a group.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg