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Rookie forward Taylor Cooper of Sherwood Park, Alta., stretches at the end of Brandon Wheat Kings practice Tuesday afternoon at Westman Place.
On a team looking for players who can put the puck in the net, Taylor Cooper has a track record of doing just that.
One of 20 forwards still fighting for spots on the Brandon Wheat Kings roster, Cooper has been a scorer every step along the way.
He tied for fifth place in the Alberta Midget Hockey League last season with 46 points, including 21 goals, in 34 games. Two years ago, he tore up Alberta’s Minor Midget league, winning the scoring title with 79 points in only 37 games.
The next step for Cooper is to prove he can be a productive player in the Western Hockey League. And while the jury is still out on that case, the 17-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., is off to a good start. He found the net consistently throughout Wheat Kings training camp and he scored his first pre-season goal in Friday’s 5-3 win over the Regina Pats, finishing off a nice passing play with fellow rookies Ryley Lindgren and Jack Palmer.
Cooper said he feels far ahead of where he was last year, when he started the regular season in Brandon, but was sent back to midget without playing in a game.
"Last year I was pretty young," he said following the team’s practice on Tuesday at Westman Place. "Now I’m getting the feel of the (team) schedule and the everyday routine."
Cooper’s play has earned the approval of Wheat Kings assistant coach Darren Ritchie, himself a former 60-goal scorer in the WHL.
"He’s been good and he does definitely have a nose for the net and he loves scoring," Ritchie said. "Those guys you love to have on your team. … He’s had a real good camp, he came in great shape and he’s done real well for himself."
While it’s easy to see Cooper’s offensive upside, the 6-foot-0, 180-pound left-winger said the biggest differences from last year are in other parts of his game.
"I’m a lot bigger, stronger, faster and way better defensively (than last season)," he said. "My coach helped me a lot last year on the defensive (aspect of the game). I could always play offence, but I needed to work on my defensive game."
ONE-TIMERS: The Wheat Kings face the Moose Jaw Warriors in a home-and-home series this week, starting Friday at 7:30 p.m., at Westman Place before shifting to Saskatchewan the following night for the final game of the pre-season for both teams … With head coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk away at a WHL coaches’ meeting in Calgary on Tuesday, Ritchie ran yesterday’s practice, with former Wheat King captain Ryan Craig helping out … A former rival of the Wheat Kings during his days with the Calgary Hitmen, Brandonite Alex Plante practised with the club yesterday in preparation for his upcoming professional season in the Edmonton Oilers organization.
» rhenders@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition September 12, 2012
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On a team looking for players who can put the puck in the net, Taylor Cooper has a track record of doing just that.
One of 20 forwards still fighting for spots on the Brandon Wheat Kings roster, Cooper has been a scorer every step along the way.
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On a team looking for players who can put the puck in the net, Taylor Cooper has a track record of doing just that.
One of 20 forwards still fighting for spots on the Brandon Wheat Kings roster, Cooper has been a scorer every step along the way.
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