STEPHEN COOPER # 55

A PRODUCT OF THE DURHAM JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, STEPHEN COOPER IS AGUABLY THE BEST BRITISH BORN AND TRAINED DEFENCEMAN IN HISTORY.  HE HAS RECIEVED THE ALAN WEEKES TROPHY FOR BEST DEFENCEMAN 9 TIMES AND HAS WON EVERY TROPHY IN THE BOOK.  COOPER MADE HIS WASPS DEBUT AGED JUST 14, WAY BACK IN 1981 AND PLAYED FOR THE WASPS UNITL SEASON 1988-89, WHEN HE AND HIS BROTHER IAN MOVED TO THE CARDIFF DEVILS FOR 2 SEASONS, WHERE THEY WON THE BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP. STEPHEN AND IAN BOTH RETURNED IN 1990-91 AND HELPED THE WASPS TO THE GRAD-SLAM.  STEPHEN STAYED AT THE RIVERSIDE RINK FOR THE NEXT SEASON AND WON THE DOUBLE, BUT THIS WAS TO BE HIS LAST SEASON IN DURHAM AS HE AGAIN MOVED BACK TO CARDIFF, WHERE HE WON A SECOND GRAND-SLAM TITLE.  'SUPER DOOPER' STEPHEN COOPER THEN MOVED TO THE MANCHESTER STORM IN 1996 AND HAS SINCE HAD SPELLS AT NEWCASTLE, NOTTINGHAM, COVENTRY AND HULL AND IS STILL THE MOST WANTED DEFENCEMEN IN THE COUNTRY.

COOPER'S WASPS STATS SEASON  GP  G   A   PTS   PIM 1980-81     5   0    1     1        0 1981-82     0   0    0     0        0 1982-83     0   0    0     0        0 1983-84   32   7   15    22      30 1984-85   35  23  35    58      57 1985-86   35  19  36    55      57 1986-87   33  14  25    39      74 1987-88   34  21  50    71      44 1988-89     **Cardiff Devils** 1989-90     **Cardiff Devils** 1990-91   35  33  50    83     106 1991-92   36  17  36    53      62 --------------------------------------- TOTAL  245 134 248  382    430

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