By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
Jack Kopfstein has been a huge presence for the Dells Ducks since his unexpected arrival in the off season between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
The now 17year-old defenseman signed up to attend the Futures Camp held by the Ducks and he has been a great presence on the blue line ever since. Local fans and players are clearly not the only ones to notice him as he was recently named as a Premier League’s Midwest-West Division 2022-23 All Star.
A native of Vista, CA, Kopfstein showed up at the Prospects Camp seemingly out of the blue after selecting the Ducks as a team that could be a good fit for him. At the time he was playing youth and varsity hockey on the left coast.
His impression with the Ducks was immediate but hidden somewhat on a team that struggled defensively. However, he stood out at the other end of the pond as well, slamming home three goals and a dozen assists in the season’s first 29 games before a collar bone injury at the Chicago Showcase just before the Christmas Break effectively pulled the plug on his season.
But the defensemen didn’t shut himself down completely, returning for the final few games of the season and spend much of the off season in Illinois and Wisconsin, working out and attending some tournaments with incoming Head Coach Anthony Rohde.
Kopfstein returned for the 2022-23 season and missed just one of 44 contests, scoring 14 goals and adding 17 assists for 31 points which was more than double his previous season’s total. Overall, the 46 points collected by Kopfstein ranks 27th best in team history and he is fifth among defensemen behind local legends Jake Stima; Bradley Hefner, Sean Teske and Beckett Patten.
As an ‘05, Kopfstein has three years of junior eligibility remaining and he has a good shot at catching on with a team at a higher level (NAHL or NCDC).
Kopfstein’s big shot and ability to move the puck might overshadow his primary job which is of course stopping the opposition from scoring. He was a primary piece on a defensive unit that cut 116 goals off its goals against total (333 to 217) this past season but he and the coaches both know that job is not finished yet.
Being recognized as one of the division’s top defenders is no easy task, especially this season which might have been one of the best since the division was formed in terms of defensive standouts.
Kopfstein joins Jacob Jakusz and Evan Izenstark from the Hudson Havoc; Kyle Cupolo from the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings and Logan Lake from the Minnesota Moose as the Division’s All-Star Defenders.
It is nice but not overly surprising to see Kopfstein listed as one of the best in the division. He has been a huge part of the team’s successful move up the standings this past season.
Coach (Shaun) Falzone and then Coach Rohde have been happy to have a player like Kopfstein patrolling the Ducks’ blue line.
“Jack through the past two seasons has been one of the most reliable defensemen in the division,” said Coach Rohde. “Not only does he play against the other team’s top players, but also puts up points consistently.
“His progression from a young player learning how to play juniors to being the ‘D’ that leads a team has been a lot of fun to watch.”
All Star Forwards is equally as impressive including: Jack Pojar; Blake Bakey and Daniel Ellingson from the Minnesota Squatch; Tyler Schmitt and Easton Parnell from the Isanti Outlaws; William Tricarico and Tobias Falkeid from the Riverkings; Teodor Benno-Vaage and Ryan Mulrenin from the Moose; Noah LaFleur from the Steele County Blades and Harout Torosian from the Havoc.
Nate Gulsvig of the Squatch/Havoc and Levi Preugschas from the Blades were named as the Division’s All-Star Goaltenders.
The Dells Ducks and Saukhockey.info would like to Congratulate Jack on being named to the All-Division team and wish him luck as he looks to catch on with a Tier 2 squad over the summer months.
While showing some signs of snapping out of a funk that has plagued the Dells Ducks junior hockey team since early November, the team was definitely limping when it headed into the USPHL Premier League playoffs.
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