Jets’ Hellebuyck, Connor, Copp cherish final game at The Joe

 

By @StefanKubus –

By nature of the NHL schedule, each team plays the other 29 teams at least twice, once at home and once on the road.

But for things to work out the way they did for Andrew Copp, Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor, it made for a special night at Joe Louis Arena.

Copp, Hellebuyck and Connor all grew up in the Metro Detroit area – Copp in Ann Arbor, Hellebuyck in Commerce and Connor in Shelby Township. Copp honed his craft as a youth player in in the Compuware program, while Connor played alongside the likes of Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin with Belle Tire at one point. Hellebuyck took the high school route, playing for Walled Lake Northern before moving on to the North American Hockey League, UMass Lowell in college and eventually the pro ranks.

In Hellebuyck’s stat book, he’ll forever have a 30-save victory against the Wings at Joe Louis Arena – and the Jets’ last win in the building – in his only start there.

“It’s hard to describe that feeling,” Hellebuyck said after the game. “I’ve had the jitters all day today, even yesterday. I haven’t not had a smile on my face all day yesterday and today.”

Hellebuyck said he had 14 passes for friends and family in attendance in the same energetic crowd he was a part of growing up as a kid.

“They don’t call it Hockeytown for no reason,” Hellebuyck said. “They’re a pretty exciting fan base, and I grew up in it, and to be on the other side of it is even more fun.

“It’s definitely gonna be a memorable moment. I almost wish I could’ve taken a bunch of pictures. It’s gonna be that sacred to me.”

Copp and Connor – who live together in Winnipeg – have both played at The Joe before, whether it was growing up and/or with the University of Michigan. While Copp had previously played at The Joe in the NHL last season, Friday marked Connor’s pro debut in the building as this is his first season in the league.

“I spent a lot of time here growing up,” Connor said. “Probably just cherish all the memories I do have here, whether it was playing games here with the University of Michigan or watching games here while I was growing up.

“Obviously the Farewell Season for The Joe, I was fortunate enough to play here and be able to look back one day and say that.”

Copp, a 22-year-old USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program alum, donned the maize and blue from 2012-15 and served as team captain in his junior campaign. After starting the season in the AHL, it wasn’t ever clear he would be called up to play that final game inside The Joe. But after Shawn Matthias was placed on injured reserve, Copp received the call back up on Nov. 2.

“It’s a special place; I’ve played here a lot of games, just growing up against Little Caesars and then with Michigan,” Copp said. “A lot of good memories here. It was good to get one final game here for sure.”

“Kind of crazy, I grew up coming to games here, too; just the whole atmosphere, just the little ins and outs that makes The Joe The Joe,” Copp said on what made it a fun building to play in.

Copp added that he had upward of 20 family members and friends in attendance – he admitted it would’ve been more had the Wolverines been in town – and singled out his Great Lakes Invitational win with the Wolverines in 2014 as his most memorable moment in the arena.

“Beating Michigan State and we were missing four of our guys – Larkin included at World Juniors – that was definitely my favorite moment for sure,” Copp said.