Since the start of his rookie season, Logan Cooley has been paired with a number of different forwards. Now he has found a lienmate that despite some drastic differences, actually have great chemistry with each other. Logan Cooley and Liam O’Brien are literally polar opposites. Cooley is a young, fast and dynamic center while O’Brien is a veteran that is known to be an enforcer. Somehow these two very different type players have really built a strong rapport with one another which has caught the eye of coach André Tourigny. 20231216_Tourigny_PostGame_FTP “I think that is one of the things you cannot explain sometimes in hockey,” Tourigny said about Cooley’s and O'Brien's chemistry. “Those two have really good chemistry. Even today at practice, they see each other, they move the puck to each other and they play good together, so I think Obi’s style of game, he opens the ice, he brings a lot of energy and for Logan, I think he is playing his best hockey in the last two games.” For Tourigny to flat out say that Cooley is playing his best hockey through this short stretch is really important. Tourigny has been supportive yet brutally honest when talking about Cooley in terms of things the 19-year-old needs to work on. The Coyotes have been searching for a sustainable role for Cooley and it seems that Tourigny feels he is best suited playing alongside the team’s top enforcer. O’Brien is almost a security blanket in a way. Arguably the team’s toughest player, O’Brien is not afraid to fight with opposing players. With Cooley’s speed and size he is easily a target to be hit which is where O’Brien comes in handy, serving essentially as a bodyguard for the young rookie. There is also less pressure on Cooley now compared to his previous role, playing alongside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, so he can play more freely. It’s an unlikely duo, but Cooley and O’Brien surprisingly have complimented each other perfectly and should continue to do so.
