Logan Cooley Embracing Challenge with Coyotes

As Logan Cooley makes the jump into the NHL, he is excited and optimistic about this upcoming season and future with the Arizona Coyotes.

Logan Cooley will be making the jump into the NHL this upcoming season after officially signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Coyotes on Thursday.

The 19–year-old was selected by the Coyotes with the third pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He now finally gets to fulfill a life-long dream of playing in the NHL.

“Any hockey player, it's their goal to play in the NHL and obviously, that was my dream. I want to play at the highest level I can, I want to be pushed every day, I want to play with the best. Honestly, I'm just super excited about the future of the Arizona Coyotes and the direction they're going.”

This past season Cooley played for the University of Minnesota where he had 22 goals, 38 assists and 60 points in 39 games. Over the one year Cooley played at Minnesota, he grew as a player and created a strong bond with the community which is why it was such a hard decision to walk away from it all.

“I would like to thank the University of Minnesota for everything they did,” Cooley said. “It's seriously the best place to play college hockey. The coaching staff did such an amazing job for me, my teammates pushed me every day. The fans, it was so unbelievable playing in front of them. It wasn't an easy call at all, kind of been dreading it for a while now. But I think both parties handled it well and obviously like I said it wasn't the easiest, but you know I’m happy with my decision.”

There was a time where it seemed Cooley was leaning on returning to Minnesota for his sophomore season but his time spent with the Coyotes at prospect development camp helped change his mind.

“Any time you can put that NHL jersey on, compete against the other prospects, and see where you're at against them, it was super special,” Cooley said. “That's kind of when I knew, 'I think I'm ready for the next step.'"

What Cooley provides to the Coyotes organization is hope. His ultimate goal is to elevate Arizona into a Stanley Cup champion one day, something only players of his caliber have the ability to do.

“To put on an Arizona Coyotes jersey, to represent them, and to help this team eventually get to a Stanley Cup is my goal,” Cooley said. “That's everyone's goal that plays in the NHL. They want to win. It's a business now, and I want to contribute every way I can to help the team win the Stanley Cup.”