Paul Coppo passed away last Thursday at the age of 83. The Hancock, Michigan native was one of the most influential players and personalities the sport of hockey has known in this area. After earning All-American recognition as captain of his Michigan Tech college team, Coppo moved to Green Bay and joined the Green Bay Bobcats in 1960. In his 12 year playing career, he piled up 227 goals with 325 assists and retired as the franchises’ all time leading scorer with 557 points. He was also the leading scorer on the 1962 U.S. Mens’ National Hockey Team and on the 1964 US Olympic squad in Innsbruck, Austria. Coppo later became the Head Coach and owner of the Bobcat franchise. He was also a key figure in the development of the De Pere Youth Hockey Association as a teacher, coach and fundraiser. Coppo was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.
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