Kupari ready to battle for spot on Jets roster

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/09/2023 (751 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He arrived in Winnipeg without the fanfare of teammates Gabe Vilardi and Alex Iafallo, who are both established NHL regulars expected to be key parts of the Jets attack this season.

That’s just fine with Rasmus Kupari, who is eager to quietly prove he’s more than just a throw-in to the blockbuster Pierre-Luc Dubois trade.

“I just can’t wait to get things going here,” Kupari, 23, said this week following a skate at the hockey for all centre ahead of the official start of training camp next Wednesday.

“I’m excited about this fresh start and the opportunity.”

It wasn’t long ago that the 23-year-old Finnish product, drafted 20th overall by Los Angeles in 2018 NHL Draft, was touted as one of the top young prospects in a deep Kings system. His NHL numbers to date — 130 regular-season games, nine goals and 20 assists in addition to several stints in the minors — don’t pop off the page.

The potential is still there, to the point the Jets specifically demanded he be included in the three-for-one deal that went down in late June. Kupari was on vacation in Spain at the time with his girlfriend and learned about it through social media prior to his phone blowing up with phone calls and texts.

“That definitely felt good (that he was wanted by Winnipeg),” said Kupari, who knew about the city already from a distance because Teemu Selanne was his childhood idol.

Kupari, a natural centre, might just get a chance to start the year in that spot on Winnipeg’s fourth line. He can also play right wing, as he often did in Los Angeles.

“Camp will show. I’ll be ready to battle for a spot,” said Kupari, who had a career-best 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in a career-high 66 games with the Kings last year. “I always want to get better and have a better year than last year.”

At 6-2 and 200 pounds, Kupari has above-average NHL speed and is known as a strong forechecker who doesn’t shy away from physical play.

“I wouldn’t say I’m soft when I was back in Finland, but that’s not really used there, guys don’t hit that much. I kind of had to get that mindset when I got here and build from there,” said Kupari.

“The last couple years I’ve kind of had that element in my game. Some games I hit more often, but puck battles and that kind of stuff is a big thing here. Trying to focus on that and be hard in those situations.”

He’s also had a couple of elite mentors to learn from in Los Angeles in top centres Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault.

“Obviously, everyone wants to play more and get a bigger role,” said Kupari.

“I’ve got the skill to be a guy who can score and make plays. I’m definitely looking forward to that and trying to have a little bit bigger role than I have the last couple years. We’ll see, time will tell but I’m ready for that.”

It’s been a busy week for Kupari, a restricted free agent this summer who signed a two-year extension that pays him US$1 million per season. He arrived in Winnipeg last Sunday, had an apartment by Monday and began the process of meeting dozens of new faces down at the rink.

There are a few familiar ones, of course, starting with Vilardi and Iafallo. He also played on the Finnish junior national team with Ville Heinola, comes from the same hometown as goaltender Oskari Salminen, and also has crossed paths with countrymate Henri Nikkanen.

“That obviously helps a lot,” he said. “All of them seem to be really nice guys. It will take some time to get used to the environment and get to know everyone, but so far, so good.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg