Logan Cooley signs 3-year, entry-level contract with Arizona Coyotes
Jul 27, 2023, 10:10 AM | Updated: 10:12 am
Logan Cooley #92 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers warms up before a game against the Quinnipiac Bobcats during the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Frozen Four Championship Final at the Amaile Arena on April 8, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
Logan Cooley, the Arizona Coyotes’ first-round draft pick in 2022, has agreed to leave the Minnesota Golden Gophers and go pro, signing a three-year, entry-level contract on Thursday, the team announced.
“We are thrilled to sign Logan to an NHL contract,” general manager Bill Armstrong said in a press release.
“Logan is an incredibly skilled player who had an excellent season with the Golden Gophers last year. He has established himself as one of the top prospects in the world. He is a very important player for us, and he has an extremely bright future ahead. We look forward to watching him play for the Coyotes for many years to come.”
The 5-foot-10, 181-pound forward previously announced in May that he would return to college for his sophomore season.
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Cooley scored 22 goals in 39 games last year as a freshman. He tied for first in the nation with 38 assists and finished second with 60 points, finishing as one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award given to the best men’s hockey player in the nation.
Cooley, who went third overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, helped Minnesota to the NCAA national championship game, where the Golden Gophers fell in overtime to Quinnipiac.
It surprised some that Cooley opted in May to return to college for his upcoming sophomore season as he could challenge for a spot on the Coyotes’ first line.
Instead, he now joins a prospect group for Arizona that includes 2021 first-round pick Dylan Guenther (ninth overall), and 2022 first-round choices Conor Geekie (11th overall) and Maveric Lamoureux (29th overall).
