Tomorrow marks the highly anticipated NHL debut of Logan Cooley. When the Coyotes selected Cooley with the third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, it felt like a major turning point for an organization searching for more star talent. Through the years Arizona has been rebuilding, the team has accumulated a number of talented young players including all-star forward Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, Matias Maccelli and J.J. Moser amongst many others. Despite being very similar to all these young players, Cooley is in a completely different boat. Expectations going into his first game are sky-high and the weight of this season opener feels significant. Logan Cooley talks about managing expectations following his first preseason goal. Cooley has been talked about in high regard from people in the Valley since he put on the Coyotes sweater for the first time upon being drafted by the team. That talk only increased when he was nothing short of spectacular through the preseason. There may be a lot of hype and excitement surrounding Cooley but the real work starts now. It's just one game but the 19-year-old has the opportunity to make a statement Friday night that he is indeed the real deal. Playing in the NHL is a dream that many have but few are able to achieve. At 19-years-old, Cooley will be one of a very select group of people to accomplish the dream of playing professional hockey. This is a game that could be remembered as the start of a new era for the Coyotes. Arizona plays the New Jersey Devils tomorrow at 4:00 PM PST.
