EMBRACING
THE BATTLE
HOCKEY CAN BE A VERY SITUATIONAL GAME.
Whether it’s five-on-five, three-on-three, or somewhere in between,
any number of variables can determine who has the edge.
That’s why it can all come down to something as
simple as winning a one-on-one battle.
“Those are things that are probably the biggest change for young
players when they get to the pro level,” said Winnipeg Jets head
coach Paul Maurice. “Defencemen get far more pressure put on
them with a great amount of speed, and some of these guys are big.”
“For forwards, getting on the puck and hanging on to the
puck now with big and strong, and very fast men on you.”
It’s an adjustment forward Andrew Copp has learned to
make since coming to the NHL for his first full season in 2015
following a three-year career at the University of Michigan.
“It’s obviously a different game than college,” said Copp.
“In college, guys are running around a bit more. Here, it’s
BY MI TCHELL CLINTON
more controlled. Knowing when you have time and space
and knowing how to position your body going into a battle
[is] where you give yourself a little bit of an edge.
“I feel like over the past two years, I’ve really worked hard
on my cutbacks down low, and protecting the puck. I feel like
that’s become a strength of my game right now. I work on those
things after practice. Staying out there late after practice
and morning skates, all that work is starting to pay off.”
He’s not wrong. Coming into February, Copp was ranked sixth
on the Jets in terms of shot attempt percentage, at 52.27
per cent. That means over half of the shot attempts Copp is
on the ice for are targeted at the opposing team’s net.
Compare that to last season, when he was below the 50 per
cent mark, at 48.87. Winning more battles keeps the puck
in Winnipeg’s possession, and moving the right way.
Copp was one of the players Manitoba Moose head coach
Pascal Vincent worked with last season when the then-22-
year-old started the season in the American Hockey league.