Matt Copponi has been through it all when it comes to the NHL draft.
For the past two years, the Merrimack College rising junior from Mansfield, Mass., watched all seven rounds go by without hearing his name called. Those disappointments certainly helped prepare him for another go-around this summer.
“It was definitely something I was prepared for more than someone who hadn’t been through the process before,” Copponi said. “I had to wait a little bit, but I just kind of kept an open mind the whole time. If it didn’t happen, it didn’t happen. That was my mindset.”
It is said that good things come to those who wait. That was, indeed, true for Copponi, a 6-foot, 179-pound center.
After a breakout campaign at Merrimack that included him scoring a double-overtime game-winning goal in the Hockey East semifinals at TD Garden, Copponi was chosen in the seventh round (216th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers.
Perhaps the seventh round was a fitting draft position for the 20-year-old Copponi, who has greatly improved his game since arriving on the North Andover campus straight from the prep level at Boston-area power Dexter Southfield. His year-over-year point total increased by 20, as he tied for the team lead with 14 goals and totaled 29 points in his 37 games for one of the best Merrimack teams in program history.
“He has been underrated as a player for too many years,” said Merrimack coach Scott Borek (Swampscott, Mass.), whose program boasted a trio of NHL draftees back in 2020. “It’s a great pick by Edmonton. The best is yet to come for him.”
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Borek’s belief is unwelcome news for the rest of Hockey East, as Copponi and senior Alex Jefferies (Lunenburg, Mass.) — a 2020 fourth-round draft pick of the New York Islanders who also walked the same prep-to-college path — are poised to reunite after being together at the forefront of the Warriors’ successes a season ago.
It was clear from the outset of last season that Copponi and Jefferies would be crucial in setting the tone for the rest of the team. The special duo combined for 70 points to help Merrimack finish second in the conference standings, take Frozen Four participant Boston University to overtime in the title game and claim its first NCAA tournament berth since 2011.
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“They’re both really good offensive players who play fast, so I think having them play together is a benefit to both of them (and our team) because they can push each other’s pace,” said Borek, who got Copponi to Merrimack following the hard recruiting work of Josh Ciocco, the assistant coach who passed away just before the season began in October 2022.
Despite feeling the sting of not being drafted, the past two years have been crucial to Copponi’s development as a player and setting him up for the opportunity to create a road map leading to a future professional hockey career.
“I think my ability to impact the game and continue to make a name for myself (has grown),” Copponi said. “I think it’s important to keep the same attitude of working hard. If I can outwork everyone, every day, I think I’m doing my job and it’ll help me continue to do what I can do. When it comes down to it, you have to be able to perform in the big moments. … Continuing to help my team win games and challenge for championships will help the most.”
The Oilers agree, seeing a hard-working style of play that will fit their organization well.
“We talk about playoffs and we talk about getting harder to play against,” director of amateur scouting and player personnel Tyler Wright said. “(Copponi) is not the biggest guy in the world, but plays extremely hard.”
Of course, another year in the weight room didn’t hurt. The rigors of the college game were made easier as Copponi added considerable strength, and the difference was noticeable to Borek.
“Everything he (did this past season) he had the ability to do (his freshman year), but in heavy games he just had difficulty getting through the traffic of the game,” Borek said. “That’s not an issue for him at all now. … He’s ultra-competitive. He’s a hard guy to beat because he competes so hard.”
Before returning his attention to running it back and winning more games at Merrimack in 2023-24, Copponi got a first taste of life in his new organization during Edmonton’s development camp shortly after he was drafted on June 29. From his initial conversations with Wright, Copponi liked what he saw, heard and learned.
“You can tell that it’s an organization that wants to win. They have the mindset that you want to see,” Copponi said of the Oilers, who are centered around the world-class duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. “They have a really good group of prospects right now. It’s a great organization. They said that if you can continue to improve your game and develop, then there’s a spot for you. Just because I was drafted in the seventh round doesn’t mean anything.”
Having a Merrimack teammate in junior defenseman Mike Brown (Belmont, Mass.) along for the ride made Copponi’s camp experience easier. Edmonton’s invitees also included familiar faces from the Hockey East and New England collegiate ranks, including UMass Lowell’s Carl Berglund, Vermont’s Joel Maatta and Will Zapernick, and Quinnipiac’s Ethan de Jong.
Copponi and Brown were two of seven Warriors who spent part of their summers at NHL development camps, which represents just another example of the program’s growth in the college hockey landscape.
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“Being at Merrimack and playing with guys like (Jefferies) has been special because we’re trying to change the culture there,” Copponi said. “We want to be the top dog every year, and it starts with professionalism. (Pro hockey is) the goal. That’s why I chose Merrimack. I think it gave me the best chance to be able to play pro hockey. I try to keep that mentality every day when I’m on the ice.”
With a now-drafted Copponi back to playing a major role, the Warriors will look to continue their climb up Hockey East and the nation in 2023-24.
