Sure enough, Copley didn't disappoint.
"I can still remember getting a Heaton glove and blocker for Christmas that matched my team colors when I was 9 or 10 years old, and I used them for two or three years," the 26-year-old said. "They were the same gloves that Marty Brodeur had back then and I loved them."
It's not universal among goalies, but for many, the lure of custom-painted masks and personalized color patterns on the latest pads and gloves played a role in wanting to play the position.
A favorite piece of goalie gear waiting under the tree, and the part it played in a fledgling career, is at the heart of fond memories.
"I remember when I was little watching hockey and thinking, 'I wonder what those goalie pads feel like,'" Copley said. "That's where it starts for a lot of guys is equipment, the masks, the pads, and even when guys get older, I still love getting new gear and new helmets, and I think a lot of guys are like that. Goalies tend to be way more excited about their equipment."
Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot said getting new pads on Christmas morning signified a pivotal moment in his commitment to a position he's played ever since.
"I got a pair of TPS pads for Christmas when I was 10 years old and that was the first set that I owned because our minor hockey rotated equipment, so as soon as you were done playing, you put it on the hanger and the next group could take it," the 31-year-old said. "I strapped them and wore them around the house all day and wouldn't take them off. As soon as you get your first set of goalie gear and you commit to the position, I kind of feel like that is a big Christmas for you as a young goaltender. I tried out for rep [hockey] the next year."