Column - Poised goaltender Pheonix Copley is the surprise Christmas gift the Kings needed

Last updated Jan 16, 2023 Edit Source

• News post

• Helene Elliott

The Kings have gotten an early and special present from a North Pole resident. It’s the right size, and useful too. It might actually help keep them on course for the playoffs.

• Pheonix Copley

• Todd McLellan

# Pheonix Copley

It was a tough situation there. So, it’s just one of those things. In pro sports things kind of unfold that way sometimes, and that’s just the way she goes.

They thought that [putting] the ‘o’ first looked like ‘Phonics” or foo-nix. They thought it looked more correct with the ‘e’ first. Their decision.

I just want to see how great I can be, I guess, and the only way to find out is to work for opportunities. Every time I get a chance I want to do the best I can with it, regardless of what’s going on around me. That’s just my mindset and that’s what I’ll continue to do.

There’s definitely times, I guess of self doubt and wondering. You work hard for a really long time and hope for a chance to come around and you can’t really predict when that will happen. For sure yeah, there’s times you’re wondering, ‘When am I going to break through? When am I going to get an opportunity?’ But you’ve just got to keep going and that’s my mindset, just to keep working and trying to keep earning opportunities.

There’s actually an NFL player who won a Super Bowl who’s from North Pole, so he’s probably got the title there.

# Todd McLellan

The answer to that question is yes, but it looks like I’m accusing other goaltenders of not doing their job and that’s not the case. Quickie and Cal, they need help too. Our team’s playing better right now in front of Pheonix than we did in front of the other two, and when it’s time for Quickie to go back in or Cal or whoever it might be, I certainly expect, and I’m sure the players expect, that type of performance in front of them as well. So the simple answer is yes, but it’s not an accusatory answer.