Cooper said he has also benefitted from the attention the Penguins’ development staff have been able to give him in Kingston. In the early months of this season, Cooper said members of the Penguins development staff, including director of player development Tom Kostopouloss and skills consultant Andrew Fritsch have been in town “a lot — monthly, if not biweekly” to take him to dinner and get out on the ice with him. Pieniniemi said their focus has been primarily on his skating and that he feels like it has improved.
“They really guide them along the process of not only on the ice but off the ice from a culture standpoint and right down to food and all those areas,” Cooper said of the Penguins’ hands-on approach. “They check in regularly and are here often with him.
“I think they really helped the process with him and allowed him to adapt a little quicker than some other imports.”