Wheeling Nailers: Get To Know Matt Koopman
Massachusetts native Matt Koopman sat down with Olde City Sports Network in February to talk about college, becoming a professional hockey player, and more!
Before turning professional, Koopman spent two seasons in the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks. He dressed in 79 games for them and tallied 11 goals and 20 assists. Koopman then went on to Providence College for four seasons and dressed in 113 games. He tallied 15 goals and 17 assists. Koopman went to UMass for his last collegiate year, played in 35 games, and netted five goals and four assists. He speaks on what he learned at Providence and UMass to carry into his game as it is today. “I think just being able to kind of plug in anywhere in the lineup. It’s something that’s been instilled in me ever since college. If guys were injured or missing games, I was able to fill in and kind of play anywhere in a lineup. The coaches I’ve played for always instilled that competitive edge that will never go away. I think I try to carry that over to the pro level.”
At the end of the 2022-2023 college season with UMass, Koopman was signed to his first professional contract with the Wheeling Nailers. He touches on what it felt like to sign the paper: “It's pretty cool, it always is a cool feeling with that. I didn't wanna be done playing, so it was nice to you know, get in contact with Wheeling here and Coach Army and just kind of get things rolling and It's been good at me ever since I think just looking back on it and now is you know, pretty much close to three years ago. It's been flying by, I think, every day you're playing pro hockey; it's a blessing you can't take it for granted, and I think it was a cool feeling for me. I was excited.”
At the beginning of every season, players get the chance to attend an American Hockey League training camp, either with the ECHL affiliate or another team. Koopman was able to attend the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Training Camp for the 2024-2025 season. “It was an awesome experience, my first AHL training camp. The first practice we got into was pretty tough; Brookbank put us through a good one. It was needed, and just being able to get into a game, get the feet wet, play well, and just kind of see how things operate at that level. It's obviously the goal you want to try to reach, the American League, and keep pushing forward, and I think that was a good taste to see in the skill, the compete, and how hard it is to make that jump. So, it was eye-opening. I'm glad I went.”
Some players are more comfortable in different playing situations, whether that be the penalty kill or the power play for their team. “I've always been penalty killing my whole career; powerplay has been a little bit. Whenever you get the name called upon for the power play, you're not mad about it; you wanna go out there and try and produce and try and create something, get some momentum back. I think especially killing penalties. It's something I look at where it's you, get the job done first, and know there's an opportunity to go, we can push for some offense to do that. It's been good. You want to be in all situations, playing five on five, so it's good.”
The grind of the season is not only physical but also mental for the players, especially at the minor league level where players have multiple games in short time spans, such as seven games in 10 days. “For me, it’s all mental. I think when you get to the stretches right now in season three in threes, it's all mental battle, and you know, your mind is the strongest muscle, the most powerful, so for me, it's all mindset. Get back up; get back after it. Another opportunity to go play the game you love, so you can't can't be mad or take it for granted.”
A fun question for players is always to ask what their dream three-on-three overtime line-up would look like with any player of their choice. Koopman speaks on who he would put with him on his line. “I was always a [Boston] Bruins fan growing up. I'd like to play with David Krejčí in a three-on-three. I think he was just the master with the puck. Come down the wing, get some speed, and you know where to find him. For defense, I would go with Victor Hedman. He's a good player. He has a good reach and keeps the game in front of him.”
-Samantha Wismer/ Olde City Sports
-Photo Credit: Sam Wismer & Wheeling Nailers