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QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Cooper a Leader for Islanders All Season

March 10, 2016 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


Oliver Cooper provides many things for the Islanders, and he has provided them all at some point this season.

Whether it be offence, defence, or leadership, the Islanders' captain's game has been complete and consistent all season.

"I've been highly impressed with Oliver right from day one," said Head Coach Jim Hulton. "I think the most impressive part for me has been the consistency of play. From day one he's avoided any long stretches of poor play."

Cooper has had one of his best offensive seasons to date in 2015-16, and has done so without sacrificing his defensive play. The best part about his game is that he can be relied upon in a number of different situations, said Hulton.

"He's been a mainstay at the net front on the power play which has really made that unit successful, and we've also used him a lot as a penalty killer."

Not only has he been used in those situations, but he's been successful in them, too. On the man advantage, he picked up a career high 11 of the team's 62 power play goals.

The team has also been able to move him around the line up a lot, said Hulton.

"We have the luxury with him of being comfortable with him in a first line offensive role or a third line grind, big-body role. It's nice and he's such a willing kid that he'll do anything for the team."

But perhaps the biggest of Cooper's contributions to the team this season has been his leadership.

He began the year as an alternate captain, but donned the C after Quinn O'Brien's season was cut short by injury. And after being named captain, Hulton noticed no significant change to his role in the locker room - he was already captain material.

"That's the best leadership, good people just stay good people," he said. "He didn't change at all and he's a bit of a calming influence in our dressing room."

Hulton said Cooper has also been a big help this season to some of the younger players on the team, particularly those from Quebec.

"He's bilingual, for one thing, so he can relate to the kids that are struggling (with English). He's also 20, so he's been through the rigors.

"He knows what it's like to be a healthy scratch, he knows what it's like to be in a slump, what it's like to have success. Throughout the course of five years of his career he's kind of experienced everything, and that experience makes him a good leader."

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