Cooley in spotlight for post-game interviews with Flames

Devin Cooley is garnering attention for what he's doing on the ice and what he's saying off it.

And for some of those who knew the Calgary Flames goalie before he got to the NHL, they can't help but be excited for his recent success.

"He's an awesome guy," New Jersey Devils forward Cody Glass said. "It's cool to see his personality grow out and how he can now be himself. I feel that's kind of where the game is going, everyone is speaking out and doing what they believe in and it's a good thing to see."

Cooley's post-game interviews are becoming must-see television around the League.

He's detailed the difference between his conscious brain and unconscious brain when playing, discussed spending time reading with his pet rabbit and pondered his role in the universe.

"You know those goalie personalities, they have that thing about them when people see that, they go, 'Oh, you're a goalie.'" Glass said. "But he's one of the nicest guys I've met. It was a pleasure playing with him. I saw how, away from the rink, he's working harder at everything he does, there's a science to it. He's very in touch with himself and that's how good players are made."

Cooley will get another opportunity to produce a thought-provoking post-game interview when the Flames host the New York Rangers on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; Prime, MSGSN). 

The 29-year-old is expected to get the start having won five of his past six games. He made 32 saves in a 4-3 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday and then had this to say about his growing popularity: 

"It's really not such a huge deal, but I really enjoy some of the messages that I get from people, who are, 'Hey I'm a young goalie,' or 'My kid plays goalie,' or other athletes that say some of the stuff that I've been saying has helped them so much just improve their game and their mental state and that for me is really rewarding. We have such a unique opportunity as athletes that no matter how small the bubble you're in, you can make a positive impact and I'm really glad I've been able to make a positive impact for some people."

Cooley's message has resonated around the League.

Pittsburgh Penguins 22-year-old goalie Sergei Murashov thanked Cooley for his candor after earning his first win of the season Saturday, a 5-2 victory at the Los Angeles Kings. 

"I want to pass a media message to Devin Cooley, I saw he was really popular recently," Murashov said. "I think most of the goalies are going through something that he's talking about, but none actually speaks it aloud. I think, thank you to him, what he's saying, and it generally helped me too." 

Glass played with Cooly in Milwaukee of the American Hockey League in 2021-22 and still keeps tabs on his former teammate. 

"Oh yeah," Glass said. "I'll text some of the guys from Milwaukee and ask them if they saw what 'Cools' said. He is well liked and it's just cool to see him doing so well."

Cooley is genuine according to David Carle, his coach at the University of Denver. He spent three years there and had to battle for every start. 

"It's really cool, the success he's having, we obviously cheer him on here from Denver as much as we can," Carle said. "But his time with us, I would say he was Devin, but he wasn't the Devin that everybody knows today. He came in very raw and had lots of potential as far as what he was on the ice and didn't have a huge track record in junior hockey." 

Cooley played three games as a freshman at Denver, 20 in his sophomore year, and nine as a junior.

Cooley left school after and signed a pro contract to play with Florida of the ECHL and from there, worked his way to the AHL to play briefly with Chicago and then settle in with Milwaukee and Rochester. 

"As far as who he is as a person, that's always been there," Carle said. "He always came to the rink with a smile on his face. He was doing vision training in front of everybody and didn't care what anybody thought of him, he wanted to get his mind and his eyes right to go out there and give himself the best chance to have success." 

Cooley made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks, playing in six games in 2023-24. He signed with the Flames on July 1, 2024, and spent a season in the AHL before getting the role as the back-up to Dustin Wolf last season. 

Cooley was 10-10-6 in 31 games (26 starts) with a 2.69 goals-against average and .909 save percentage last season. He is 5-3-0 in eight games with a 2.71 GAA and .914 save percentage this season.

Cooley sat out four games after sustaining a lower-body injury when Edmonton Oilers forward Colton Dach collided with him just before the end of the first period in a 4-0 loss Oct. 28. 

He returned to back-up Wolf in a 5-3 loss against the Anaheim Ducks last Friday and was back in net Sunday. 

"It's really an amazing story when you think about our 2017-18 team, he got into some games, but he was scheduled to be our third goaltender," Carle said. "We thought Devin had a lot of potential to come in and provide depth for us and then into his sophomore year, we had an injury and Devin had an opportunity to play the first eight or nine games and did an amazing job. 

"It was a very uncharacteristic path for him to find the success that he's had and we're really happy for him."

Glass said it's hard not to root for Cooley and looks forward to facing him when the Devils host the Flames on Nov. 27, and travel to Calgary on Jan. 30. 

"When we play him in Calgary -- he always talks about the unconscious and conscious brain -- so if I try to talk to him during the game, we'll see if he talks to me back or not," Glass said. "I always love hearing about that."