Brewin Flames Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 Cooley, No. 3 pick in 2022 NHL Draft, signs 3-year contract with Coyotes Forward led NCAA in assists last season as freshman at University of Minnesota by Jon Lane @JonLaneNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer 1:19 PM Logan Cooley signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. The 19-year-old forward was the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. As a freshman at the University of Minnesota, Cooley tied for the NCAA lead with 38 assists last season and his 60 points were second behind University of Michigan freshman Adam Fantilli (65). His 1.54 points per game were third behind Fantilli (1.81) and Harvard University forward Sean Farrell (1.56). "We are thrilled to sign Logan to an NHL contract," Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong said. "Logan is an incredibly skilled player who had an excellent season with the Golden Gophers last year. He has established himself as one of the top prospects in the world. He is a very important player for us, and he has an extremely bright future ahead. We look forward to watching him play for the Coyotes for many years to come." Cooley previously announced he'd return to Minnesota for his sophomore season. "When I posted about coming back to school a few months ago, I was fully planning to return for my sophomore season," Cooley said in a statement posted to his Instagram feed. "Over the past few months, I have realized that deep down, I feel ready for the challenge of playing at the highest level in the world and I want to fulfill my lifelong dream of being an NHL player. The hardest part of coming to this decision was feeling like I was letting people down but I have to be true to myself and do what's in my heart." If Cooley plays in the NHL, he would join a team that signed free agent forwards Jason Zucker, Alexander Kerfoot and Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Troy Stecher, and acquired 24-year-old defenseman Sean Durzi in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on June 24. The Coyotes also project to have forwards Barrett Hayton, 23, and Matias Maccelli, 22, in their top six. Maccelli signed a two-year contract July 17. "[Cooley] is one of our best players," Armstrong told NHL.com on July 20. "He had some star quality moments in (development) camp for us like he had in Minnesota. He's got a game that's unique in the sense of his compete, his high energy and high skill. I have a feeling in my in my heart that that he's ready to play in the National Hockey League. That's my personal opinion, but I do believe he's ready." Cooley helped the United States finish third at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in seven games, second to Canada forward Connor Bedard (23 points; nine goals, 14 assists). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icechipper Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 Interesting strategy for Coyotes.....are they treading water or trying to win? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted September 23, 2023 Share Posted September 23, 2023 Looking good so far late preseason game last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted September 24, 2023 Author Share Posted September 24, 2023 The Arizona Coyotes may have a star on their hands. Logan Cooley was drafted by the Coyotes with the third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The expectations are high for Cooley but he also expects big things from himself going into his rookie year. “I’m super competitive,” Cooley said via PHNX’s Craig Morgan. “I’ve always had high expectations for myself going to the hockey rink. I want to help this team win as many games as possible. I want to contribute to the team in any way possible, but yeah, I do want to put up big numbers, I do want to compete every night and I want to win the Calder Trophy. The reason I turned pro is because I felt ready to take the next step and I’m confident in my abilities to do those things that I want to accomplish this year.” The 19-year-old was nothing short of spectacular during the Coyotes first preseason game Friday night in Australia against the Los Angeles Kings. He made a statement in the second period scoring a highlight-reel goal that left everyone at Rod Laver Arena in awe. Cooley had an incredible preseason debut but his work is far from over. Prior to his goal, the rookie turned over the puck leading to a Kings goal. Some young players would let a mistake like that ruin their game but not Cooley. “He showed that he learned,” Coach André Tourigny said. “He learned what to not do and at the same time he showcased what he can do.” The Calder Trophy won’t be an easy award to win by any means for Cooley. The Chicago Blackhawks rookie phenom Conor Bedard is widely considered the favorite to win this award. However, both Cooley’s words and actions on the ice sent a clear message that he should not be counted out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted September 24, 2023 Author Share Posted September 24, 2023 21 hours ago, OccamsRazor said: Looking good so far late preseason game last night. Yep, he'd probably win the calder if not for a guy named Bedard, but we shall see... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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