Tied for the 15O Nationals lead in goals with nine, Tyler Cooper really opened some eyes at this event by carrying his team to a finals appearance thanks to a handful of clutch performances along the way. He’s such an effective player inside the offensive zone from his forechecking prowess to his processing ability, he’s often impacting the play in his own subtle ways. His cerebral style of play allows him to create offence without needing to hold on to the puck for extended periods of time, instead, he’s able to create space for teammates with quick puck touches and can garner quality looks for himself with his exceptional off-puck tendencies. Ultimately, what set him apart in this tournament was his execution. He displayed strong offensive instincts and a great finishing ability to capitalize on his chances at the most opportune moments for his team, including two huge goals in the championship game with his second tally being the equalizer in the third period to erase the 4-1 deficit and send the game to overtime. Cooper has been a player that our team has been quite fond of over the past year or so but he just seemed to reach another level at this event, capping off his impressive stretch with 12 points in 6 games despite just falling short of the ultimate goal.

It took a bit of time for Cooper to get going in this tournament, but eventually the incredibly skilled and detail-oriented centerman began to consistently make an impact and become one of the Reapers more efficient forwards. He’s so tactical in his approach with the puck on his stick, reading and processing the play around him quickly as it unfolds and either skating the puck into open space through the middle or anticipating pressure and distributing pucks to open options through seams. This tactical approach carried over to his off-puck play as well where he showed great timing on his off-puck routes that got him into open pockets of ice at just the right time to receive a pass in a dangerous area and flash his quick release to get a shot off quickly. What I noted Cooper the most for was his work on the halfwall on the powerplay where I thought he did a fantastic job of running the top unit and executing superb cross-ice feeds through seams that lead to a plethora of one-timer opportunities from the opposite circle along with some dangerous chances from the low slot.

It’s the little details in Cooper’s game that make him such an effective forward. The foundation of his play style is the work ethic he displays each and every shift, determined to be first to loose pucks and heavily pressuring opposing defenseman to win back possession for his team but its his intelligence as a skater that really rounds his game out so well. His positional awareness is something that really stood out to me over time as he does such a good job at putting himself into the right positions in the offensive zone to be a constant scoring threat while also not straying too far from puck carriers to offer support in case he needs to jump into a battle to keep possessions alive. On the offensive side of things, there was very little flash to his game but he’s able to be a very productive player thanks to his impressive processing ability, connecting on quick passing plays to generate quality chances for teammates while also flashing his ability to freeze defenders with his stick work and the create separation for himself to make a play with the puck. e does such a good job at putting himself into the right positions in the offensive zone to be a constant scoring threat while also not straying too far from puck carriers to offer support and keep possessions alive through loose puck battles. After a strong showing at the National Camp back in July, it seems like Cooper is carrying that momentum into the new season.

Every team needs a player like Tyler and his ability to play as a strong defensive centerman will only add heaps to his value moving forward. Even on lost faceoffs he was pursuing the play heavily and taking away time and space fast from his opponents. He gapped up quickly on the PK and forced players into the passing lanes he wanted them to. In the offensive zone, he scored a gorgeous goal by elevating with accuracy but also had many touch passes and low snapshots. He’s a smart player, and adaptive player, and one who builds momentum from the defensive side of the puck to create offense. Players like him are tougher to find at this age.

Putting his team on his back at times, scoring 2 goals and 1 assist in the game, Tyler Cooper capped off what was an excellent 2025 USA Hockey Nationals, coming just short of a championship. Things obviously didn’t start the way he would’ve preferred for his team, but he got them on the board shortly after falling down 3-0, finding a puck alone at the side of the net he chopped it beyond the goaltender to make the score 3-1. An element of Cooper’s game that was on display over the last few games, along with his one, is his ability to finish what comes his way. He doesn’t always get a boatload of chances, but when they do come his way, he’s accurate and finishes his looks. He was quick and aggressive on the forecheck throughout the game, leading the charge physically and with speed. On the second goal of the game, he managed to win a battle behind the net and set up Cameron Anderson. Moments later, moving with the same pace, power, and skill, he crossed the offensive blueline and made a move through a gap of three defenders, pulling them all with him before he executed a lateral drop-pass to David Blasiak who now had room to beat the goaltender cleanly, getting his team within 1. This play from Cooper to attack the middle, draw all the eyes on him and create ice for his teammates is the exact type of play you want to see from your star players in a big game. Cooper tied the game 4-4, because who else was going to get things tied up if not for him, as a puck was blocked in the high slot, it rolled out to his wing on the powerplay and he hammered it on net, beating the scrambling goaltender to even things up. The scoring touch, the strong puck handling in dangerous areas of the ice, and the speed made Cooper an impactful player seemingly every shift, showing great leadership both in ability, and character when things weren’t going his team’s way early.

Cooper was outstanding in this game and played a huge role in the Reapers’ win. He wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work, his relentless forechecking helped the Reapers maintain sustained pressure in the offensive zone. His effort off the puck set the tone for his entire team. On the power play, he really stood out. He made a couple of slick touch passes, holding the puck for just a second or two before moving it, just enough to catch the penalty killers off guard and force them to move around quickly, creating panic among the penalty killers. His awareness and quick decision-making opened up space and created quality scoring chances for his teammates.

I thought Cooper made an instant offensive impact in this game as he picked up a breakaway attempt on his first shift of the game and then capped off an impressive first period with a buzzer beating tally off a nifty slip pass to the front of the net from Blasiak. There were plenty of calculated touches that he used inside the offensive zone to direct pucks towards teammates or away from defenders sticks which prolonged sequences and built momentum for his team but I found a lot of his best plays stemmed from his exceptional situational awareness which put himself in the right spots on the ice to capitalize on opportunities.

Scoring 2 goals in the game, two massive goals matter of fact, Tyler Cooper was an integral part of his team’s success, showing off a game-changing ability to finish plays. He scored the opening goal as he walked high into the offensive zone and fired a quick shot going against the grain through a crowd, ultimately finding a way to beat the goaltender. He continued to find space throughout the game to wire shots on net with a heavy and hard release. His second goal of the game where the Reapers desperately needed some breathing room came on the powerplay where Cooper got some space atop the left-circle and hammered a beautiful one-timer top-left into the net with elite power. The shot and scoring touch that he owns made him a center piece for Mission defenders to contain, and yet, Cooper still found a way to break through and make the most of his skillset. He made some other nice plays during the game, connecting on quick passes around the offensive zone to open teammates, his ability to keep his feet moving and get everyone involved in the play was part of the reason he was able to find some of this space to finish off the chances that fell his way.

Cooper took some time to find his rhythm, but once he did, he became a key playmaker. One of his standout moments came when he flew down the middle of the ice, toe dragged to change the angle of his shot, and then fired a hard, well-placed shot that caught the goalie off guard, creating a prime rebound opportunity. He was also highly effective on the power play, showcasing his vision with precise, well-timed passing plays that helped generate scoring chances.

The best player in this game by a fair margin, Cooper finished the contest with a hat trick along with playing a detailed-oriented 200 feet game. He was constantly supporting play in the defensive zone, hanging out below the goal line to help his defenseman and engaging himself in board battles to fish pucks out which helped facilitate clean breakouts for his team. He really flexed his muscles as a shooter in this one, as two of his goals came from outside the slot area that were able to beat the Barons goaltender cleanly. By far the most impressive of his three tallies came late in the second when he picked up the puck in the neutral zone, attacked the middle of the ice once he entered the offensive zone and snapped a perfect shot over the goaltenders blocker from distance.

Royal Blue’s offense was stifled well by Kelly Green’s defense so there was not much of an impact to be made by Tyler Cooper, but he showed flashes of ability that piqued my interest. He made quick and intelligent decisions on the puck when under pressure, spinning away from contact upon receiving the puck and picking his head up to find an open lane to attack. He had very good instincts and was able to pick out the open man well, looking to make the most of each of his rushes. Despite him not being able to make too much of an impact I think there were clear points to his game that allude to him being an effective contributor and the type of player that would be able to slot into virtually any team and carve out a role for himself.

He gathered another goal and two assists for Royal Blue which came from timing his spacing to drift into the slot and chopping at a puck to elevate it from the slot for a goal. His defensive gap work on the Pk was forcing players on the outside to adjust their passing lanes quicker, and his power and protection of the puck along the boards in the offensive zone allowed him to wait until the moment to drive into the middle. His low snapshot got tucked in for another goal late in the game too. I just think plays like Tyler are desired by every coach across North America. He’s strong, smart, defensive, controlling, and is truly that two-way C that doesn’t grow on trees. The strength, speed, and versatility with a player like that is so valuable.

With two goals and an assist on the day, Tyler Cooper led the way for team Royal Blue. His play really came across as smart, powerful, diverse, and hard working. He showed elements of every area of the game including strong defensive positioning, lateral passes and cross ice passes with crisp and timing, and composure in offensive situations to elevate the puck up high in tight. He can stay in the gaps, make little chip passes to himself, and changes the pace and angling of his offensive attack. I’m a big fan of Tyler and I’d imagine many others are as well. He can be an important anchor to whatever line he is on.

Cooper was another player that played until the last minute and never gave up. What really impressed me with him was his willingness to be physical while not always being the bigger kid. His tenacity on the puck was amazing resulting in some turnovers in the offensive zone. Cooper’s playmaking was also on full display in this one having a couple of really nice passes to the slot. He had a solid performance in this one and I would not be surprised if he got on the scoresheet in the coming games if he continues to play like he did today.

On both ends of the ice Tyler helped to propel his team to win this game. Throughout the game he displayed a high compete, always pressuring the opposing players while in his own zone. On one play, Tyler was able to use his speed to negate a break away chance, lifting the attackers stick and using his body to create space, allowing him to take possession on the play. Even on an icing, he chose to hustle up the ice to beat the defender, almost catching the puck before it crossed the line, a play I often find players don’t attempt to take advantage of at this level. Late in the second period he showed patience by reading the play, sitting above the dot to make himself open for the pass and scoring. In overtime, he scored the game winning goal by once again using his agility to chase down the attack, behind his own net on this play, and use his body to separate the puck off the attackers stick. He then was able to transition using his speed to create a rush positioning himself to have a clear shot on net where he beat the goalie.