IceDogs sign Copeland
The Niagara IceDogs couldn’t believe their good fortune when Juan Copeland was available in the recent Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
The club loved the talented forward, but weren’t certain he would be available when it came time for their pick in the second round.
“We’re excited he is coming in. He is going to be a big impact guy,” IceDogs general manager Joey Burke said at the time. “We were surprised a little bit (he was available) but being an American with a lot of options, I think teams are more hesitant on a guy like that than a Canadian guy who they know is a safe pick.”
The IceDogs cemented that selection by signing Copeland to a standard player agreement Monday. The 5-foot-11 left-winger played the past three seasons with the Detroit Honeybaked AAA program (2018-21).
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to officially add Juan to the IceDogs today,” Burke said. “He is the player we targeted all season long and to be able to make it official really is a dream come true. Juan is a player who had a lot of options available to him and I am thrilled he chose Niagara.
“He plays an OHL-ready game right now and will become a fan favourite in years to come. I couldn’t be more excited to officially welcome Juan to Niagara. I can’t wait for the season to begin.”
In six games played in the condensed 2020-21 season, the Michigan native scored two goals and three points. In the previous two seasons, Copeland averaged more than a point per game, with 26 points in 15 games in 2018-19 and 23 points in 17 games in 2019-20. In the 2019-20 season, he scored the most goals of any High Performance Hockey League (HPHL) U14 player (13), and the most points of any HPHL U14 player (23).
“This is something special to me and my family moving forward,” Copeland said. “It’s something we’ve worked towards since I was younger and to sign my first agreement with the IceDogs is something I’ve worked hard for and am so excited to have done.
“I can’t wait to get going and play in front of all the fans in Niagara.”
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 3,300 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
