Andrew Copp Bio
Andrew Copp is an American professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on July 8, 1994, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he was selected in the fourth round, 104th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Known for his work as a two-way center, Copp has played in the NHL since 2015 and has built his career through stints with the Jets and the New York Rangers before joining the Red Wings in 2022.
Early Life and Background
Andrew Copp was born on July 8, 1994, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to parents Andy and Anne Marie Copp. His mother worked as a figure skating coach for the University of Michigan Wolverines, while his father coached his youth hockey teams, giving Copp an early grounding in competitive sport. His younger brother, Tyler, also played ice hockey growing up but later chose to pursue golf and attend Mercer University.
Copp attended Skyline High School, where he was a standout two-sport athlete. As a youth, he played in the 2007 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Compuware minor ice hockey team. The following year, his father suggested he increase his physicality on the ice, which prompted Copp to also play football. He continued as a quarterback at Skyline and set multiple school records in his senior year, throwing for 1,732 yards and 27 touchdowns in the first six games of the 2011–12 season, including a state-record 557 yards and seven touchdowns against Pioneer.
A broken collarbone suffered in early October during a game against Temperance Bedford ended his senior football season, but upon recovery, Copp accepted an NCAA Division I scholarship offer to play for the Michigan Wolverines men’s ice hockey team.
Path to Hockey
Copp played three seasons with the Michigan Wolverines men’s ice hockey team. In his freshman year, the Wolverines’ final season in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, he recorded 11 goals and 10 assists in 38 games despite the team’s offensive struggles. Ranked 142nd among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, he was drafted 104th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
After attending the Jets’ development camp, Copp returned to Michigan for his sophomore season as an alternate captain and broke out offensively with 29 points, finishing second on the team in scoring and earning an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. He also received the first Big Ten First Star Award after recording five points over two games, and in December was named to the preliminary roster for the 2014 United States men’s national junior team ahead of the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
As a junior, Copp was named the 85th captain in Wolverines history and the first junior captain since Luke Glendening in 2010–11. He posted 14 goals and 17 assists in 36 games and earned All-Big Ten second-team honors before opting to forgo his senior year, signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Jets on March 26, 2015.
Andrew Copp Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Copp made his NHL debut on April 11, 2015, skating on a line with Lee Stempniak and Matthew Halischuk against the Calgary Flames and assisting on Stempniak’s goal in a 5–1 Jets win. He was invited to the Jets’ rookie camp in September 2015 and competed in their exhibition games, earning a spot on the opening night roster and recording an assist against the Boston Bruins. His first NHL goal came later that month in a 3–2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Following the season, Copp filed for salary arbitration and was awarded a two-year, $4.56 million contract extension, solidifying his place in the Jets’ forward group.
Winnipeg Jets Breakthrough (2017–2022)
Over several seasons with the Jets, Copp developed into a reliable two-way forward. On March 24, 2021, he recorded his first career NHL hat-trick, scoring four goals in a 5–1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, a milestone performance that highlighted his offensive ceiling. He became a steady contributor on both special teams and at even strength.
Earlier in his Jets tenure, a collision with Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal left Copp listed as day-to-day, and he missed the team’s final three games before the Christmas break.
New York Rangers Stint (2022)
Copp was traded to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline on March 21, 2022, along with a sixth-round draft pick, in exchange for Morgan Barron, a fifth-round draft pick, and two conditional second-round draft picks. He scored his first goal as a Ranger on March 25, 2022, in a 5–1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On April 21, during a game against the New York Islanders, Copp recorded his second career hat-trick, becoming the third player in Rangers history to score a hat-trick in the first period, joining Don Raleigh (1948) and Kelly Kisio (1986), and the only Ranger to score the first three goals of a game.
Detroit Red Wings Era (2022–Present)
On July 13, 2022, Copp signed a five-year, $28.125 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings, beginning a new chapter of his career. In his third season with Detroit, the 2024–25 campaign, he had recorded ten goals and 13 assists for 23 points through 56 regular season games before suffering a torn pectoral muscle during a game against the Minnesota Wild on February 23, 2025.
He underwent surgery on February 26, 2025, to repair the pectoral, with a projected recovery of four to six months that ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Copp is recognized as a dependable two-way center whose skating, faceoff reliability, and penalty-killing instincts have made him a coach’s favorite. His ability to play across the middle of the lineup and contribute on special teams has allowed him to move between checking and scoring roles throughout his NHL career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Copp’s career highlights include his four-goal debut hat-trick against the Vancouver Canucks on March 24, 2021, and his historic first-period hat-trick for the Rangers against the New York Islanders on April 21, 2022. He has also represented the United States at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Andrew Copp Career Wins
Andrew Copp’s professional record reflects steady contribution rather than prolific scoring, with his biggest single-game moments coming in the form of hat-tricks and playoff pushes with multiple franchises.
NHL Highlights
Copp’s first NHL goal came in October 2015 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his first career hat-trick, a four-goal performance, arrived against the Vancouver Canucks in March 2021. His second hat-trick came during his brief Rangers stint in April 2022, a single period that placed him alongside Don Raleigh and Kelly Kisio in the franchise record book.
Other Wins and Performances
At the collegiate level, Copp served as captain of the Michigan Wolverines in his junior season and earned All-Big Ten second-team honors. As a youth, he played in the 2007 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Compuware program, an early marker of his competitive pedigree.
Andrew Copp Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Andrew Copp was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, by parents Andy and Anne Marie Copp. His mother’s work as a figure skating coach for the University of Michigan Wolverines and his father’s role as his youth hockey coach shaped a deeply athletic household. His younger brother, Tyler, also played hockey before transitioning to golf at Mercer University.
Personal Life
Copp maintains close ties to his Ann Arbor roots and the University of Michigan community that helped launch his hockey career. Public details about his personal relationships are limited beyond his immediate family.
2025 Season Performance
Andrew Copp’s 2024–25 season with the Detroit Red Wings showed promise through 56 games, during which he recorded ten goals and 13 assists for 23 points and continued to serve as a two-way presence in the lineup. His role on the penalty kill and his faceoff work remained central to Detroit’s identity under head coach Derek Lalonde.
That momentum was halted on February 23, 2025, when a torn pectoral muscle suffered against the Minnesota Wild ended his season. Surgery on February 26, with a recovery window of four to six months, ruled him out of the remainder of the schedule and left the Red Wings without one of their most reliable centers heading into the stretch run.
Looking ahead to the 2025–26 season, Copp’s rehabilitation will be a focal point for Detroit, and his return will be tied to the team’s push back toward playoff contention. With his contract running through 2027, both player and franchise have a clear runway to build on the momentum his early 2024–25 form provided.