THE IAN COPLAND BACKSTORY

On July 15, 2015, the Loan Sharks and Whalers faced-off at Center Ice for what should have been a routine mid-season game in the AAHL’s Middle AA division. Ian Copland, #4 on the Loan Sharks, and one of their most skilled players, advanced the puck out of the defensive zone and suddenly collapsed at the blue line. Briefly, Ian’s teammates thought nothing of it but when Ian did not move they quickly recognized something was wrong. Almost immediately, the men on the ice administered CPR, and EMT’s arrived at the rink within minutes. Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do to help.

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Ian was born in Winnipeg, grew up in Toronto, and loved hockey. He was outgoing and attracted friends easily with his big smile, easy going nature, his sense of humor and love of life. These traits sometimes hid his brilliance, as Ian was recruited to Atlanta to work as a research physician at Emory, immersed in ground-breaking research seeking cures for debilitating diseases like Crohn’s Disease.  He was only 42 when he passed.  He is survived by his wife Jen, and his two children, Samantha and Matthew, as well as his parents and siblings in Toronto.

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When his family approached the Foundation, it was a natural move to marry Ian’s love for hockey, medicine and building an on-ice awareness to respond to medical emergencies. As such, the Foundation developed our First Responder Training.  First Responder Training is customized training which prepares you to respond quickly and knowledgably to incidents both on and off the ice.

  

We thank the entire Copland family for their support of the Foundation and this program.

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You can support Ian’s legacy by participating in the Ian Copland Memorial Outdoor Winter Classic. The Winter Classic fuels our First Responder programming.