Among the under-the-radar battles for jobs at Winnipeg Jets training camp this year, the chase to be the fourth-line centre figures to be an interesting one.
By making a conscious decision not to bring back veteran Jim Slater, who was the longest-serving member of the organization, the Jets left the door open for a guy like Andrew Copp to claim the job.
By scoring twice in the Young Stars Classic finale in a 5-4 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers, Copp finished the prospects tournament on a high note and said he’s up for the task.
“I feel more comfortable and it was great to get my feet wet, get in some game speed before training camp hits,” said Copp, who had 40 goals and 81 points over three seasons with the University of Michigan Wolverines.