Forward Logan Cooley debuted in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes last season. He played a second-line role for most of the season, scoring 20 goals and adding 24 assists for 44 points in 82 games. While he was not selected as one of the three finalists for the 2024 Calder Memorial Trophy, he averaged a little over a point every two games. On top of this, he was named to the NHL’s 2023-24 All-Rookie Team. How did the former Minnesota Golden Gopher live up to his expectations last season?
Preseason Hype for Cooley
Arizona’s 2022 third-overall selection was coming off an impressive season with the University of Minnesota. The freshman accumulated 60 points in 39 games centering wingers Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues prospect) and Matthew Knives (current Toronto Maple Leaf). The three of them had a combined point total of 152 in 119 games that season. Cooley was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award (given to the best college hockey player every year.) Furthermore, this line has been considered one of the best lines in Minnesota’s history.
At first, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native decided he was going to return to the Golden Gophers for the 2023-24 season. Minnesota had fallen to Quinnipiac University in the 2023 National Championship and it seemed Cooley wanted another crack at winning college ice hockey’s most-prized possession. On July 27, 2023, he changed his mind and signed his rookie contract with the Coyotes. The 20-year-old had this to say following the decision to go pro.
“When I posted about coming back to school a few months ago, I was fully planning to return for my sophomore season,” Cooley said. “Over the past 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 left-handed shot joined the Coyotes in Melbourne, Australia (part of the 2023 NHL Global Series). On Sept. 23 and Sept. 24, Arizona played the Los Angeles Kings in a two-game preseason series. It was the first time the NHL had expanded its Global Series to Australia. In the Coyotes’ 5-3 win in the first contest, Cooley pulled off a dazzling spin-o-rama move to score. He had shown his abilities on the national stage again like he had done with the U.S. National Development Team Program before playing college ice hockey. The hype was real, as articles were released days after the goal about him being a…
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