Cooley Fondly Recalls NHL Draft in Montreal, ‘It was Really Special’

The 2023-24 season has been a learning experience for Arizona Coyotes rookie Logan Cooley.

On Tuesday, his return to Montreal brought it all full circle.

Upon the team's arrival Cooley was already taken down memory lane, recalling July 2022 when General Manager Bill Armstrong selected him at the NHL Draft.

“We went by the hotel that the prospects stayed at for the draft,” Cooley said. “Just being on the ice and taking it all in, it’s a cool rink to play in, and to have the draft here too was really special.”

The day of the draft in is one the 19-year-old will never forget. Anticipation built up, but even though the stress of the day was palpable, Cooley didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called.

There, at Bell Centre in Montreal, Armstrong announced the club had selected him with the third overall pick.

The whirlwind began.

“To have my family there and a lot of friends that helped me get to that point was a special moment,” he said. “It’s everything that I dreamed of since I was a little kid.”

His well-known journey to the NHL started last year at the University of Minnesota, where he was a standout player while finishing as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the NCAA’s top player. Cooley posted 60 points on 22 goals and 38 assists in just 39 games, helping the Golden Gophers all the way to the National Championship, where they ultimately fell to Quinnipiac.

He also stood out in international play, registering seven goals and seven assists in seven games at the 2023 World Junior Championship.

Those years helped prepare him – at least as much as possible – for what was next to come.

“It’s your first year in the league and you’re trying to learn how to play in the NHL: What works, what doesn’t, and that’s what’s been happening this year,” Cooley said. “There’s not much space out there. You have to always know what the next play is before you even get the puck. In college hockey it’s a big adjustment. You have a lot more time and space and you can do whatever you want. Now you’re playing against the best guys in the world and trying to learn, read off other players, and stay up to game speed and make plays.”

That adjustment has taken time, but it’s not anything he hasn’t been through before. He recalled his first few weekends with the University of Minnesota, where he would go through an entire weekend of play and register a single point.

Fast-forward to Oct. 13, 2023, and Cooley registered two assists in his first NHL game. He’d ultimately record six assists before logging his first career goal against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 1, but the patience – and the persistence – is something he’s stuck with over time.

That’s what got him to that stage in Montreal two years ago, and it’s what continues to motivate him through any adversity that comes his way.

“There’s a lot of ups and downs and you’re just trying to find your game and find consistency,” Cooley said. “The past few games here I felt like I’ve been playing my best hockey, and you try to keep growing from that and you try to get better each game.”

He went from the stage at Bell Centre two years ago to the playing surface on Tuesday, making his first trip back to Montreal one that he'll remember for a long time to come.

“It’s my first year in the league and I’m just trying to take it all in, learn as much as I can from the coaches and other players who have been around the league for a while, and try to have fun,” Cooley said. “It’s your rookie year and a lot of things are coming at you at once, so you’re just trying to do it.”