After originally announcing his return to Minnesota earlier this offseason, forward Logan Cooley on Thursday signed a three-year, entry-level with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes.
Cooley was the Coyotes first-round selection (third overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft and forgoes his remaining NCAA eligibility.
“We are thrilled to sign Logan to an NHL contract,” said Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong in a statement. “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.”
Logan Cooley’s message to Gopher fans. pic.twitter.com/4v7e29eXyu
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) July 27, 2023
Last season, Cooley completed his freshman year with the Gophers and finished as the team’s leading scorer with 22 goals and 38 assists for 60 points in 39 games. Cooley’s 60 points ranked him second in NCAA scoring, tied for first in assists and tied for fifth in goals.
The Hobey Baker finalist and all-American finished the season with a point in 16 of his final 17 games (11 goals, 22 assists, 33 points). He also recorded at least one point in 32 of his 39 games, registering 19 multi-point games. Cooley finished second in Big Ten conference scoring and led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA championship game before falling to Quinnipiac 3-2 in overtime.
In addition, the Pittsburgh native also represented the United States at the 2023 World Junior Championship, leading the U.S. to the bronze medal. He recorded the second-most points in the tournament and led the team in scoring with seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in seven games.
