Andrew Copp, Todd McLellan Practice Media | Dec. 9, 2025

Andrew Copp, Todd McLellan Practice Media | Dec. 9, 2025

What’s been the key for this team to put together this five game point shoot? Uh, I mean, I think we’re playing a little bit better defensively and then we’re I think we’re capitalizing on opportunities. Uh, PK’s been a little bit better the last five, too. So, kind of a little bit of everything and then I mean, Gibby stood on his head last night. Tyl’s been playing well. So, kind of full team efforts. Everything’s just been a little bit better. I know you guys don’t look at the standings, keep things in the room, but how tight when the standings are this tight, how do you keep things in in the room and just dayto-day? Yeah, I mean you just you’re stacking points as many as you can at this stage of the year, you know, like I think uh saw something that we were out of the playoff picture and now we’re in first. Uh you know, changes every day. So um we just got to we just got to concentrate on our process and how we’re playing. This team’s already 30 games into the season. Has it flown by or does it feel like that for obviously everyone? No, it’s flown by. There’s feels like there’s been so many games. Um you know, I feel like usually when you’re at this stage of the year, you’re kind of at like 22 23 games. there’s usually a lot more breaks early in the season, but with the Olympic break, it’s just been an absolute sprint. So, um, yeah, it’s kind of flown by and kind of just game after game after game. So, uh, you know, momentum is a huge thing when that’s happening and, uh, you know, we got to we got to find a way to continue the the positive momentum we have right now. And then last one for me, you see teams start to settle in at this point in the season, I would think. Are you noticing that out in the ice and for you guys? Are you guys starting to settle in a little bit more, too? I think so. Oh yeah, I think uh you know, you’re 30 games in, you you know, like the practices um you know, start to be a little bit more tailored to just a few tweaks instead of um you know, more of those early season training camp type practices. And I mean, we’re playing every other night and travel and all that. So, you kind of just settle into a groove and hopefully the groove is a is a good one, not a bad one. Thanks, Todd. 30 games into the season. Has this season flown by for you and the group or does it just feel like that on the outside? It’s an interesting question. Uh I think when you’re in it and the games are compacted the way it is, you’re like just trying to breathe. Uh but you when you reflect back, we’re like, you know, 30 35% done our season already. So it it has flown by, but it it does feel like a grind for everybody and I don’t think that’s going to change obviously till the end of the year. You talk about the grind of the season as a whole in terms of how you break down the season for the players. What does that look like for you in your process? Well, the the the first thing is the summer approach, making sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to do uh to prepare for training camp. Then training camp comes and that’s a a real important segment. Obviously, it’s not about points, wins, or losses at that that time. It’s about implementing a foundation. I thought the first five to 10 games were going to be a a tough road for us uh based on the schedule and the opponents that we had. So, we looked at that and then you settle into the season. But after about the 10 game mark, um, all teams are prepared. Uh, I think the star players have found their their groove. The goalending settles in. Um, so it becomes real hockey. And, uh, that’s the phase we’re in now. Next target is Christmas. I think we have eight games left. So, we’ll work hard to uh, bank as many points as we can and then we’ll breathe for three days and it starts up again. So, um, it gets broken up into segments. Um it’s not always the common five games, five games, five games or 10. Um you know, at the end of this road trip will be another segment for us where we’ll sit down and look at uh some of the things we did on the six six game road trip. As you’ve evolved as a coach, have you found easy or different ways to keep that messaging dayto-day as the season goes on? Yeah, it can get old quickly. Um we have to use different voices. They can’t always hear mine. So, uh, uh, the staff that we have put together, uh, they participate, they do presentations to the players, uh, they do some one-on-one stuff with them. Um, it just can’t constantly be the same voice over and over again. Um, and then practice, we try and come up with um, concepts that we want to work on, but maybe vary the drills a little bit, keep them entertained and and enthused about actually being on the ice. It again, it can become a grind. And then it’s it’s about playing the games. That’s what we’re here for. And um sometimes you got to make adjustments or or teach or use uh clips uh gamewise to uh to improve rather than practicing. Talked yesterday about EMTT’s progression specifically. What have you seen though in Axel and Nate because he plays yesterday too. It feels like their progression is equally as important for you guys. Yeah, they’re uh it’s very important and you can throw Branson to that. He was here for a good portion of those games, but um you know the two in particular, Axe has played basically every game of the season now. Um you know, he’s about as deep into a year as he’s ever been with his seven exhibition games and two rookie games and 30 games on the ice right now. That’s uh that’s almost a full year for him over in Sweden. Um you know, and it’s his size. He’s probably feeling a little bit, but he’s doing a real good job of taking care of his body and and getting prepared to play each and every night. Um Danny on the other hand fought injury early in the season. Had to find his game down there and I think he’s playing better and better each night that he’s here. So the confidence continues to build. What about their bond with each other? It feels like they just have especially all three guys have a connection more too. Yeah, that’s uh I I think that you find that’s common, especially when you got three 20-year-olds on your on your squad. They uh they’ll tend to hang out a little bit more. they don’t have wives or kids at home and um it’s a brand new experience for them so they can uh share with each other what they’re going through, maybe support each other a little bit more. But um you know, I keep a close eye on what’s happening around the rink and and often when I peak, I can see uh veteran players pulling them uh you know, pulling them aside, taking them to dinner, riding with them on the bus, uh talking to them on the bench. So they have real good support system uh within the team.

Andrew Copp and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s practice on Tuesday December 9, 2025 in Calgary.