Andrew Copp
American forward drafted by Jets, now with Red Wings.
Andrew Copp, a forward for the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL, was born on July 8, 1994, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His mother, Anne Marie, coached figure skating at the University of Michigan, while his father, Andy, coached his youth hockey teams. A younger brother, Tyler, also played hockey growing up but later switched to golf and attended Mercer University.
As a kid, Copp played in the 2007 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Compuware team. The next year, on his father’s advice to boost his physicality for hockey scouts, he took up football. He played quarterback at Skyline High School, setting several school records as a senior. In the first six games of the 2011–12 season, he threw for 1,732 yards and 27 touchdowns, including a state-record 557 yards and seven TDs against Pioneer. But in early October, a broken collarbone from a hit by Austin Riedmaier during a game against Temperance Bedford ended his season. After recovering, he accepted a Division I scholarship to play hockey for the Michigan Wolverines.
Copp spent three seasons at Michigan, serving as team captain in his final year. As a freshman, he saw limited ice time on a struggling offensive team and finished with 11 goals and 10 assists in 38 games. That season, his second year of draft eligibility, he was ranked 142nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was picked 104th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2013. After attending the Jets’ development camp, he returned to Michigan as an alternate captain for his sophomore year. He broke out with 29 points, second on the team, earning an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. He also received the Big Ten’s first First Star Award of the season after a five-point weekend. In December 2014, he was named to the preliminary roster for the U.S. national junior team for the World Junior Championships. As a junior, he became the 85th captain in program history—the first junior captain since Luke Glendening—and tallied 14 goals and 17 assists in 36 games, earning All-Big Ten second-team honors. He left college early, signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Jets on March 26, 2015.
Copp made his NHL debut on April 11, 2015, on a line with Lee Stempniak and Matthew Halischuk against the Calgary Flames, assisting on Stempniak’s goal in a 5–1 win.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 6 ft 1 in
- Weight
- 205 lb
- Born
- 8 July 1994
- Birthplace
- Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
- Position
- Forward
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- NHL
- Team
- Detroit Red Wings
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Copp played youth hockey with the Detroit Compuware team and also played quarterback at Skyline High School, setting school records before a broken collarbone ended his senior football season. He then accepted an NCAA Division I scholarship to play for the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team, where he played three seasons and served as team captain in his junior year. He was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 2013 and signed an entry-level contract in March 2015, making his NHL debut later that year.
Copp spent parts of seven seasons with the Jets, scoring his first career NHL hat-trick (and first four-goal game) in a 5–1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on March 24, 2021. He was traded to the New York Rangers at the 2022 trade deadline, where he recorded his second career hat-trick—the third player in Rangers history to score a hat-trick in the first period. He signed with the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent in July 2022. In February 2025, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle and underwent surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
Reader's Guide
Andrew Copp's career illustrates a path from a dual-sport high school athlete to a reliable NHL forward. His selection by the Winnipeg Jets in the fourth round of the 2013 draft came after a collegiate career at Michigan where he served as captain. Over his tenure with the Jets, he developed into a consistent contributor, highlighted by a four-goal game in 2021. His trade to the New York Rangers in 2022 produced a notable hat-trick in the first period, tying a franchise record. His subsequent free-agent signing with the Detroit Red Wings on a five-year contract marked a return to his home state. A significant pectoral injury in 2025 cut short his season, underscoring the physical demands of the sport. His international experience includes a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF World U18 Championships with the United States.
Did You Know?
- Copp played quarterback at Skyline High School and set numerous school records in his senior year.
- He was the first junior captain of the Michigan Wolverines since Luke Glendening in 2010–11.
- Copp scored his first career NHL hat-trick (and first four-goal game) on March 24, 2021, against the Vancouver Canucks.
- He is one of only three Rangers players to score a hat-trick in the first period, joining Don Raleigh and Kelly Kisio.
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