Attack goalie Matthew Koprowski is starting to turn some heads in the league after picking up his fourth win of the season with a 3-1 victory over the Soo at the Bayshore last weekend. Leading up to that game, he was named to the East roster for the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game alongside teammates Harry Nansi and David Bedkowski. With Carter George at Hockey Canada’s World Junior Selection Camp currently, it’s Koprowski’s time to be the starter for this young Attack squad and he’s up for the task. We caught up with the Komoka kid to get his thoughts on playing the starting role, the closeness of this team, handling the pressure in net and his secret supply of Brazi bites.
First off Matt, Congrats on the win against the Soo the other night. That’s your 4th OHL win. How did it feel?
It still feels awesome every time. Every time we win it’s an accomplishment, right? The team does well to play strong in front of me when I’m in net so I appreciate that. It’s starting to feel a little more normal to have success in this caliber of hockey. It’s good to get that win out of the way and hopefully we’ll get rolling before Christmas.
After two games with the Attack last season, you’ve now played 8 games for the team on the regular roster. What has the transition been like to being in the OHL full time after a season with the Komoka Kings?
It’s a big difference, right? The players are just so much better and moving up from Junior B to OHL, you just have to be a lot more aware and focused on the game. And in junior B, there are less fans, obviously so there’s a little more pressure here. You have to play well in front of all the people.
What did you think when you were first drafted to Owen Sound?
I didn’t know much about it. I definitely knew about the team, because they played the London Knights a lot and since I lived in Komoka, I went to a lot of Knights game to watch them play. When I first came here, I was excited and I wanted to play here right away, but I had some good development in Junior B as well. Now I’m glad I’m here and playing. It’s a cool experience.
What have you come to love about playing here so far?
I like the small town atmosphere. l’m from a small town so I just like how everyone knows who you are and everyone supports the Attack. It’s pretty cool that the community knows what the Attack is and I like the arena, it’s not too big and not too small. It’s the perfect size for me.
In the early part of the season you were largely backing up Carter George. What has it been like learning with him and practicing alongside him?
It’s cool learning from him because he’s known as such a great goalie, right? So I mean taking things from him on and off the ice about what he does and what someone of that calibre does as a goalie, I can definitely learn stuff from him and from our goalie coach. It’s a really good opportunity.
What would you say has been the biggest piece of knowledge or advice you’ve picked up from him so far?
Probably just say how hard he works in practice. If you don’t work hard in practice, it won’t result in success in a game.
With Carter off to World Junior Selection camp, it’s your time to shine as the starter for the Attack. How are you feeling about the chance to be the starter for this team?
I’m excited to finally get some back-to-back games. I think I thrive on back-to-back games and when I’m playing more I do better. Sitting there for a week and then playing and then sitting that’s not who I am. I like to keep going and keep working hard. So I’m excited for this opportunity to finally get some more games and see what I can do.
What do you know about Trenten Bennett who will be backing you up now?
Not much to be honest. He came to training camp my first year and I saw talked to him for a bit. I’ve gotten to know him a little bit since he arrived here. He played Junior B last year in the same league as me. He’s a good goalie. I’ve seen him play a little and I’m excited to work with him.
You recently got selected to play in the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game. How did you find out and what was your reaction when you heard? What does an opportunity like that mean especially in your draft year?
Alexi Medvedev texted me when we were at rink school. He sent me the roster and I told him I was excited to play with him. But it took me a bit to realize that it’s a big thing getting to play at that level with all of the good players in the league. It should be a pretty cool experience. It’s very cool that I get to do it with a couple teammates as well in David Bedkowski and Harry Nansi. To have that experience with them will be cool. It’s a good way to showcase myself and what I can do in my draft year too.
This is the first OHL team you’ve been on, but you’ve obviously been in a lot of dressing rooms and on a lot of rosters in the past, how would you describe this group and the attitude and energy you all bring to the ice?
I think this is the closest group I’ve ever been a part of. On every team, there are different friend groups but I feel like everyone, once we get in the room, we’re all really tight and we all bond together really well. There’s no disconnect with anyone and I think that translates on the ice, right? If everyone’s tight in the room, then guys aren’t going to be afraid to pass the puck to someone else. They trust their teammates. I think there’s a really good bond from the coaches on through to the players. We are all just really good together.
It’s a really different vibe this year. When I watched the warm up the other day for the first time this year, I don’t ever remember seeing that much laughing before a game.
I don’t know how to explain it, but every other team I’ve been on, there’s always a few guys who don’t like each other. Even last year, I wasn’t here much, but there was a little bit of locker room tension. That’s normal, it wasn’t anything to worry about but I haven’t seen any of that this year. Everyone is very close.
I heard through the grapevine that you crushed fitness testing at training camp, specifically the bench press. What can you tell us about your off season training and current routine?
Training for me in the summer is huge. It’s an important aspect of your game. If you’re not good off the ice, you won’t be good on the ice. So working with my trainer, Spero, we just went through everything that could translate on the ice. So legs are most important. So we worked on legs probably for more than half the summer. And he’s worked in the NHL, so he knows what’s important and when. So we slowed down towards the end of summer and I think that really helped me. When I came into the camp I was fresh and ready to go and I did pretty well. I was excited about that but it’s just another step in the right direction for what I want to do.
Let’s go back to the beginning a bit. How did you get started in the sport?
I was a player when I was really, really little, you know when teams don’t officially have a goalie. And then it was my turn and I tried goalie. My dad didn’t want me to do it, but like, everyone else it was my turn. So I went out and I got a shutout in my first game. Of course my coach wanted me to play again because he knew I was pretty good at it. So my dad was like, ‘No, he’s not playing again. I don’t want him to be a goalie. It’s too expensive and too much pressure when he’s older’. I ended up playing again and we won the whole tournament and I played the whole time. So then I decided to play the rest of the year. The next year, the whole team agreed at the start that I’d just play. So I played a couple years of like that, then I played up a year with and then I made AAA in my first year, then played Junior B and now I’m here.
Do your parents appreciate it now? Has your dad accepted it?
Yeah (laughs), he’s glad I did. I think I would have excelled at as a player too. I think I would have done just as well. But I’m glad I’m a goalie because I like it a lot better than being a player.
What do you like? Sitting here in the stands watching, I can’t even imagine what there is to like out there. (laughs)
I think, like my dad said, I like the pressure. I like knowing every game that if you’re not at your best, your team won’t be able succeed. I like always having to be on my A game, no matter what. I just find it interesting, right? I don’t know. I guess it’s a crazy goalie thing.
Yeah, they do say goalies are a little bit different. Do you agree?
Yeah (laughs) I agree.
How do you tackle the mental side of the game?
I just like talking to my dad, my mom, my agent, my papa, my grandparents. Family helps me get through it a little bit. If I’m not playing well, obviously they’ll calm me down. I’ll go out there and practice hard for a week and then next game will be fine. There’s a little bit of a mental side, obviously, but I’ve never had any, like, major setbacks. I’ve had bad games here and there but that’s normal for sure. You learn to regroup and move on.
Your family is here as often as they can be. What does that kind of support mean to you?
They’ve made it a couple times and now my nana and papa have made it twice and my grandma and grandpa came too so that was nice. Obviously everyone’s super supportive. My aunts, uncles and cousins, they’re all just happy I’m here and playing some games and doing well so that’s awesome.
Ok on to the fun stuff…
What kind of music do you listen to pre-game?
I like remixes I don’t even know what you call it, like EDM type stuff. But there’s nothing I have to listen to or no real superstition about it. I just always seem to put that on.
Right, do you have any superstitions?
I do, but I don’t really say them out loud. Like I don’t even tell my parents (laughs).
Which NHL player do you most want to be like or admire?
I take some things from Joseph Woll I think. We have the same frame and the same build and I feel like I play a bit like him. As much as I want to be my own goalie and have my own unique thing, I do take some stuff from him because I like his game and how he plays. And I take a little bit from Hellebuyck because he’s really aggressive and a big guy. So just a little bit from every goalie around the league I’d say.
What’s your favourite pre-game meal?
Before game, I eat chicken, rice, broccoli and Brazi bites. They’re like little Brazillian bread and cheese bites. My billets make me a really good pregame meal every time. My mom brings more Brazi bites up every couple of weeks from Costco.
What’s your favourite post-game meal?
it depends if we’re on the road but after a home game, I’ll go home and have whatever my billets have as leftovers. Nothing major, just whatever is there is great.
Thanks so much Matt and enjoy the next few weeks.
Thank you!