‘It’s the Best Time I’ve Had Playing Hockey’

Another key member of the Utah Mammoth’s core is here to stay. On Wednesday, the Mammoth announced center Logan Cooley signed an eight-year extension. For Cooley, his first year and a half as a member of the organization has been filled with excitement, fun, and promise of a bright future.

“I love it here,” Cooley said. “It’s the best time I’ve had playing hockey. The fans, the facilities we have are second to none. The team we have with (Dylan) Guenther, (Clayton) Keller, (Mikhail) Sergachev, the core we have here, it’s a special group and I’m excited to add to that. The way we’re playing, and the team we have, we’re going to be a dangerous team to stop.”

Cooley is the sixth player to sign a contract of four years or longer since last June, joining Sean Durzi, Dylan Guenther, Karel Vejmelka, JJ Peterka, and Jack McBain. This type of long-term commitment from so many players shows the belief that Cooley and his teammates have in the organization and the state of Utah.

“This is probably the biggest decision that he’s ever made in his life,” Ryan Smith, governor of the Utah Mammoth, explained. “This is what leadership looks like. Committing for a big chunk of his career to be here. Dylan Guenther set the tone and then Logan followed and it’s what I love about these guys; they’re all in on each other, they’re all in on the state, they’re all in on what we’re doing. Us as Utahns, us as fans, we get to benefit from this for a really long time.

“I think this is what we’re trying to build, and this is exactly what we hoped for when we brought a team here,” Smith continued. “It’s a message to his teammates that this is a leadership move. It’s also a big message to the NHL that this is a destination and we’re going to be doing this for a while. We’ve got what we believe is the best young core in hockey and there’s just a great vibe … we’re just excited. What a wonderful day.”

With plenty of talent, drive, and strong character, Cooley is a unique player that brings plenty both on and off the ice. Securing his future with the organization is a significant part of the Mammoth’s plan to build sustained success and bring a Stanley Cup Championship to Utah.

“This eight-year contract signed today by Logan will help this franchise take a huge step,” said Utah Mammoth General Manager Bill Armstrong. “A huge step to becoming a championship organization in the future. Logan has made a huge commitment today by signing with the Mammoth, to this organization, to his teammates, to the Mammoth fans, and also to the state of Utah.

“He’s an elite centerman with speed,” Armstrong continued. “They’re extremely rare and extremely hard to find. What makes him unique is his drive and character, his ability to improve, with a huge hunger to win. He’s an impressive young man.”

Over the last few months as both sides negotiated a deal that would work for all involved parties, there was always a drive to get the deal done and keep Cooley in Utah.

“These were extremely, extremely tough negotiations,” Armstrong explained. “But I always felt during this deal that there was a deal. There was a great deal for the organization but there was also a great deal for the player inside the negotiations. In my heart, I always felt like they would get done.”

Throughout the process, Cooley met with ownership and management. Part of his conversations with Smith were about thinking of the big picture and what Cooley and the Mammoth could achieve together over this eight-year contract.

“When I sat down with Logan last week, that was a lot of the discussion that we were having, ‘what do we see, what does eight years look like?’’ Smith explained. “It’s pretty cool to have that conversation, let’s look forward, let’s dream out there, let’s see what we’re going to build together and him getting excited.”

Cooley had a long list of reasons why staying with the Mammoth was the right call for him and his career. A significant part is due to the team in Utah. It’s a strong brotherhood and close-knit group. His fellow teammates have made this stop in Cooley’s career such a positive one.

“It’s just fun to come to the rink every day,” Cooley shared. “It’s obviously a long year, there’s a lot of ups and downs, but I think the group we have, it’s just such a joy to compete with, to be around. Whether that’s dinners, hanging out. We have a great captain, a great leader that drives the bus for us, and then you have guys like Sergachev, who gets us going, and we just have an unbelievable group and I’m excited to be with this group for a while.”