San Jose Sharks goaltender Devin Cooley is scheduled to start for the team he grew up watching.

San Jose Sharks goaltender Devin Cooley is scheduled to start for the team he grew up watching.

Cooley was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline and hadn't played an NHL game. That will change today as the Sharks play the Chicago Blackhawks in the second game of a back-to-back.

An NHL debut is incredibly special, but doing it for the team he grew up cheering for makes it even more special for those around him. Cooley was born and raised in Los Gatos, Calif., and played for the San Jose Jr. Sharks growing up.

Cooley played minor hockey at the 14U, 16U, and 18U AAA levels. He played for the Jr. Sharks from 2011 to 2015 before moving on to the USHL and NAHL. He will become the second-ever player to come out of the Jr. Sharks program and play for the San Jose Sharks, behind Matt Tennyson.

Today will mark the culmination of a long and arduous journey for Cooley. The 26-year-old has been through almost every level of professional hockey imaginable after he went undrafted.

Although he might be sent down to the AHL once Mackenzie Blackwood can return, tonight's game will be a moment he will never forget. 

He also re-lived a childhood memory with the Sharks' mascot, SJ Sharkie. Cooley had Sharkie attend one of his birthday parties.

Cooley has played 14 games with the Rochester Americans this season and has a record of 6-6-2. He has a .891 save % and a 3.77 GAA. 

There is one more fold in play for Cooley. Fellow Sharks goalie Magnus Chrona attended Denver University during Cooley's final season in 2019-20. Chrona said Cooley was his backup goalie when he picked up his first NCAA win.

The two have been a goalie tandem for the Sharks during their current road trip, something they haven't been able to do together since that season at DU. 

San Jose is on a three-game losing streak heading into tonight's game against Chicago. While other storylines might involve 2024 NHL Draft Lottery odds tonight, Cooley's debut won't be lost in the shuffle.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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