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Logan Cooley

Hobey Baker Award Finalists Announced

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The three finalists for this year’s Hobey Baker Award are Adam Fantilli, Matthew Knies and Logan Cooley, according to Steven Ellis of DailyFaceoff.

Fantilli, a freshman at the University of Michigan, is considered a top prospect for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and led all NCAA scorers with 64 points (29G, 35A) in 35 games, finishing seven points ahead of Cooley for the top spot. Fantilli has been able to further cement his status as a likely lottery selection in the draft, and adding the Hobey Baker would only solidify that standing.

Cooley, the No. 3 overall pick by the Arizona Coyotes last summer, had 57 points (20G, 37A) in 37 games for the University of Minnesota. Cooley’s strong showing this season has given the Coyotes more reason to believe they have a potential No. 1 center in their organization. His 14 points in 7 games at the World Junior Championships for the US also showed he has an ability to perform in pressure situations. Cooley might be looking to join the pro ranks if he can claim this year’s Hobey Baker.

Knies, a 2021 second-rounder by the Toronto Maple Leafs, finished tied for 19th in NCAA scoring with 41 points (21G, 20A) in 38 games playing alongside Cooley at Minnesota. Knies, a sophomore, built on a strong freshman campaign that saw him record 15 goals and 18 assists in 33 games. As a member of an organization annually tight with the salary cap, Knies has begun to develop into a player who could make an impact in the NHL while on an entry level contract. It remains to be seen when Knies will decide to turn pro, but winning the Hobey Baker could accelerate that process.

The winner of the Hobey Baker Award will be announced on Friday, April 7.

College Notes: Farrell, Boston University, Minnesota, Gibson

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John Buccigross of ESPN reports Sean Farrell is going to sign with the Montreal Canadiens in the next few days. The skilled left-winger was a fourth-round draft pick of the Canadiens in 2020, and could add some scoring punch to a struggling offence in the near future.

The 21 year old just wrapped up his second college season and it was an impressive showing. Though his Harvard squad bowed out rather meekly in a 8-1 drubbing at the hands of Ohio State, Farrell was phenomenal all season. He had an assist in that NCAA Regional Semi-Final, and it gave him 53 points in 34 games, a big improvement from his 28 points in 24 games in 2021-22.

Farrell is a smart player with incredible vision, who had 33 assists in 34 games this season. Add in his 20 goals and he has the second best points-per-game average in college hockey, trailing only Adam Fantilli of Michigan.

Though it is just his second actual college season, it counted as Farell’s junior campaign because the 2020-21 counted as his freshman season even though Harvard did not play due to Covid restrictions. So, Farrell could choose to return for one more season and then become a free agent in August of 2024, but it sounds like we will not get that far as Buccigross suggests the Canadiens could get his name on an entry-level contract soon.

  • Also in college hockey, Boston University punched its ticket to the Frozen Four national semi-final with a 2-1 win over Cornell. Wilmer Skoog scored his 16th goal of the season to give BU a second period lead and Ethan Phillips scored the game’s winning goal in the third period on his own rebound. Dalton Bancroft scored in the final minute for Cornell, but BU was able to hold them off and advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa Bay on April 6.
  • BU will face Minnesota who also advanced to the Frozen Four today. Minnesota was led by Logan Cooley, the Arizona Coyotes third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, who had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over St. Cloud State. Jackson Lacombe, an Anaheim Ducks prospect also had a goal and an assist, as did undrafted Jaxon Nelson who sealed the game with an empty net goal.
  • Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports one of Farrell’s teammates is close to signing as well. Goaltender Mitchell Gibson was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft and just saw his Harvard hockey career come to a close. The 23 year old’s final NCAA game was not flattering as he allowed seven goals before being pulled in that blowout loss, but he had a stellar college career. He finished this season with a 2.25 GAA and a .919 SV% in 27 games. He would add some youth to the Capitals goaltending pipeline as they have been relying on 27 year old goalies Zach Fucale and Hunter Shepard at the AHL level.

Top-10 Finalists Announced For 2023 Hobey Baker

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With the end of collegiate hockey calendar approaching, the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award have been announced. The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country and has an impressive line of winners. In 2014, Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Cale Makar, and Cole Caufield have all taken it home over the last decade, with each going on to star at the professional level.

Goaltender Dryden McKay, last year’s winner, is currently playing with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, after a history career at Minnesota State-Mankato. McKay posted a .932 save percentage and 26 shutouts across 140 college games, winning 113 of them.

The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller, and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.

Earlier this year, 87 players from the NCAA ranks were nominated for the award, and today that number has been reduced to just ten. These ten players will be narrowed to just three, a process that anyone can be a part of by participating in the fan vote. Votes will be added to the decision from a selection committee to produce three finalists, from which a winner will be crowned.

The top 10 finalists are as follows, with the NHL organization that owns their draft rights in parenthesis:

Logan Cooley, University of Minnesota (Arizona Coyotes)

Adam Fantilli, University of Michigan (2023 draft eligible)

Sean Farrell, Harvard University (Montreal Canadiens)

Collin Graf, Quinnipiac University (undrafted)

Lane Hutson, Boston University (Montreal Canadiens)

Matthew Knies, University of Minnesota (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Devon Levi, Northeastern University (Buffalo Sabres)

Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac University (undrafted)

Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech University (undrafted)

Jason Polin, Western Michigan University (undrafted)

USA Hockey Announces Preliminary 2023 WJC Roster

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The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship is rapidly approaching, with things set to kick off on the afternoon of December 26 with a match between Switzerland and Finland. Team USA will start their tournament later that day against Latvia. Today, the organization released the preliminary roster for the upcoming camp.

The group will be pared down closer to the tournament but currently includes:

F Jackson Blake (CAR 109th overall, 2021)
F Gavin Brindley (2023 draft eligible)
F Tyler Boucher (OTT 10th overall, 2021)
F Kenny Connors (LAK 103rd overall, 2022)
F Logan Cooley (ARI 3rd overall, 2022)
F Jack Devine (FLA 221st overall, 2022)
F Dylan Duke (TBL 126th overall, 2021)
F Cutter Gauthier (PHI 5th overall, 2022)
F Noah Laba (NYR 111th overall, 2022)
F Ryan Leonard (2023 draft eligible)
F Samuel Lipkin (ARI 223rd overall, 2021)
F Chaz Lucius (WPG 18th overall, 2021)
F Cameron Lund (SJS 34th overall, 2022)
F Rutger McGroarty (WPG 14th overall, 2022)
F Red Savage (DET 114th overall, 2021)
F Will Smith (2023 draft eligible)
F Jimmy Snuggerud (STL 23rd overall, 2022)
F Charlie Stramel (2023 draft eligible)

D Sean Behrens (COL 61st overall, 2021)
D Shai Buium (DET 36th overall, 2021)
D Seamus Casey (NJD 46th overall, 2022)
D Ryan Chesley (WSH 37th overall, 2022)
D Aidan Hreschuk (CBJ 94th overall, 2021)
D Luke Hughes (NJD 4th overall, 2021)
D Lane Hutson (MTL 62nd overall, 2022)
D Luke Mittelstadt (undrafted)
D Jack Peart (MIN 54th overall, 2021)
D Ryan Ufko (NSH 115th overall, 2021)

G Trey Augustine (2023 draft eligible)
G Kaidan Mbereko (undrafted)
G Tyler Muszelik (FLA 189th overall, 2022)
G Andrew Oke (undrafted)

The camp will be held in Plymouth, Michigan between December 12-17, at which point a 23-man roster will be selected.

Team USA Announces 2022 World Juniors Roster

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The World Juniors are a little under 48 hours away and slated to kick off their tournament Tuesday night at 10:00 pm ET, Team USA had to make its final round of cuts for the tournament. Today they did just that, USA Hockey announcing its final roster for the tournament, cutting two players to bring the group down to 25. Frank Nazar (CHI) and Aiden Hreschuk (CBJ) were the final two players cut from the USA roster. The final group is as follows:

Goaltenders

Remington Koepple (2023 draft eligible)

Kaidan Mbereko (2023 draft eligible)

Andrew Oke (2023 draft eligible)

Defensemen

Sean Behrens (COL)

Brock Faber (MIN)

Luke Hughes (NJD)

Wyatt Kaiser (CHI)

Tyler Kleven (OTT)

Ian Moore (ANA)

Jack Peart (MIN)

Jacob Truscott (VAN)

Forwards

Brett Berard (NYR)

Thomas Bordeleau (SJS)

Logan Cooley (ARZ)

Matt Coronato (CGY)

Riley Duran (BOS)

Dominic James (CHI)

Matt Knies (TOR)

Carter Mazur (DET)

Hunter McKown (2023 draft eligible)

Sasha Pastujov (ANA)

Mackie Samoskevich (FLA)

Red Savage (DET)

Landon Slaggert (CHI)

Charlie Stramel (2023 draft eligible)

Of note for this USA team, it features 17 of the 25 players who were on the roster for the original 2022 WJC before it was ultimately cancelled and postponed due to COVID-19. Four of these 25, including Berard, Faber, Kleven, and Slaggert, were also on the 2021 team that won Gold. Team USA General Manager John Vanbiesbrouck had this to say about the difficult selection process:

“We had a great week of camp followed by a pair of good pre-tournament games to help us finalize our roster. We had some spots to fill from December and we filled them in well. These are hard decisions, but we believe these are the 25 best players to achieve our goal.”

Team USA’s coaching staff is made up of Head Coach Nate Leaman, Assistant Coaches Grant Potulny, Kris Mayotte, and Steve Miller, as well as Video Coach Theresa Feaster. The team will be captained by Faber, along with alternate captains in Bordeleau and Slaggert. USA will open the tournament with a preliminary round game against Germany Tuesday evening at 10:00 pm ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, where the entire tournament is being held.

Logan Cooley Planning On Honoring College Commitment Next Season

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As he prepares to represent the United States at the 2022 World Junior Championships this week, Arizona Coyotes 2022 third overall pick Logan Cooley confirmed he’ll be playing at the University of Minnesota next season after committing there earlier this year.

After attending Coyotes development camp earlier this summer, Cooley said that “a year in college could really help. Just keep developing, and then I think I’ll be ready.”

He also expressed a desire to turn pro as quickly as possible, though, assuming he has a strong freshman season in Minnesota as expected. Cooley could absolutely still make his NHL debut in 2021-22, just at the tail end of the campaign after his college season concludes.

Cooley’s sentiments are music to the ears of Minnesota fans. Their program, while it’ll still be highlighted by the returns of defensemen Brock Faber, Jackson LaCombe, and Ryan Johnson, as well as forward Matthew Knies, will have to replace the holes left by senior standouts Ben Meyers and Samuel Walker. They’ll also be dealing with the departures of a pair of NHL-affiliated prospects in Chaz Lucius and Tristan Broz.

West Notes: Kaprizov, Klingberg, Cooley, Kawaguchi

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While there was some concern expressed last month about Kirill Kaprizov’s ability to return to North America after being denied entry, the winger has successfully returned to the United States, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link).  It’s unknown at this time whether or not the Wild managed to secure a U.S. work visa for the 25-year-old or if he was able to secure another deferment to his mandatory Russian military service.  Meanwhile, Russo adds that Kaprizov recently underwent surgery but has been cleared to resume skating and his full workout routine so while it has been an adventurous few weeks, Minnesota should have their star available to them on opening night in October.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Anaheim defenseman John Klingberg met the media, including Matt Weller of the Ducks’ team site, for the first time since signing with the team last week. He indicated that he had similar one-year offers from other teams that he was considering while reiterating his desire to secure a long-term agreement next summer.  Klingberg had 47 points in 74 games with Dallas last season and will have a chance to play a big role with Anaheim next season.  His full trade protection expires in January so if the Ducks are out of the mix near the trade deadline, he could be on the move in late February as well.
  • Coyotes prospect Logan Cooley is expected to return to practice tomorrow as he looks to ensure he’ll have a spot on Team USA’s entry for the World Juniors, relays NHL.com’s Mike Morreale (Twitter link). The third-overall pick was listed on their 27-player roster earlier today but there are two cuts that still need to be made.  The fact that Cooley will be able to return to practice bodes well for his availability for the tournament which gets underway next week.
  • After non-tendering him last month, the Stars have brought back Jordan Kawaguchi on a minor-league deal, their AHL team announced. Dallas signed the 25-year-old winger as an undrafted college free agent in March of 2021 and he had a decent season, collecting 23 points in 49 games.  While that wasn’t enough to garner a qualifying offer, Kawaguchi will stick around with Texas for another year.

Snapshots: Sharks Coach, Tavares, Top Prospects

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As their rebuild continues, the San Jose Sharks unexpectedly had to address a gaping hole in that of their GM position after former GM Doug Wilson stepped down. The organization took its time to find the perfect candidate, eventually hiring former Sharks player Mike Grier. The team was also tasked with finding another head coach after they fired previous head coach Bob Boughner. Like the GM position, the Sharks have taken their time to find their newest hire.

It appears though that the search is over, based on a series of Tweets from the Sharks, which in effect announced that the team will name its new head coach tomorrow at 11:00 am PT/2:00 pm ET. The team did not formally announce who it is that they are hiring to fill the position, but several sources indicated late last week that the Sharks were “zeroing in on” David Quinn, formerly the head coach of the New York Rangers. Quinn, who was let go after the shortened 2020-21 season, spent three seasons as the bench boss in Manhattan, his only three as a head coach in the NHL, compiling a record of 96-87-25 for a Rangers team that was working its way out of a rebuild. If it is in fact Quinn that gets the job, he will be placed in a rather similar situation to what he had with the Rangers: bring the team through and out of the rebuild.

  • Working with very limited cap space, the Toronto Maple Leafs have done their best to improve this offseason, changing out their entire goaltending duo for a new one and adding a few pieces, most notably headlined by winger Calle Jarnkrok, who signed a four-year deal with Toronto in free agency. To improve further, Toronto will have to look in-house for certain players to step up and one of those is captain John Tavares. In a recent interview, the veteran center told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star that he has spent this summer training with Maple Leafs development staff, working to be a quicker skater. As Tavares said, “For me, obviously just trying to be a little quicker, a little lighter on my feet. I think that’s really important.” Tavares’ skating has certainly never been revered as his best asset, however the soon-to-be 32-year-old will need to at the least maintain his skating ability to continue to produce at the elite level that is expected of him and his $11MM cap hit that he carries for three more seasons.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has released the latest edition of the NHL’s Top 50 prospects, now incorporating players from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft into the list (subscription required). Interestingly, number one overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky comes in at number ten on the list, behind fellow 2022 draftees Matthew Savoie (No. 9), Logan Cooley (No. 5), Simon Nemec (No. 4), and Shane Wright (No. 3). The list might be most appealing to fans of the New Jersey Devils, who have Nemec as well as Alexander Holtz (No. 17) and Luke Hughes (No. 2). Taking the top spot on Wheeler’s list was last year’s number one overall pick, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power.

Arizona Coyotes Select Logan Cooley Third Overall

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With a chance to kickstart their rebuild with seven picks in the first two rounds, the Arizona Coyotes got things started with USNTDP standout Logan Cooley. The shifty center may be the most skilled player in the entire draft, capable of weaving between defenders with speed, creating space with his incredible edgework, or using his quick hands to finish close to the net.

There are some who believe Cooley might have the highest upside out of anyone available today, giving the Coyotes a potential franchise center to build around as they go through their ASU transition period.

Notably, Cooley isn’t headed directly to the NHL, as he is committed to the University of Minnesota for next season, where he’ll join a powerhouse program that should be in contention for the national championship. For Arizona, delaying his entry into the league actually might make some sense, as they continue to collect draft picks over the next few years.

There has been some debate over whether Cooley’s size–he measured 5’10.5″, 180 lbs at the combine–will hold him back at the professional level, but there’s no denying the upside in his offensive game. The thing that made some people believe Cooley should go even higher than this–some had him at the very top of their board–is that it’s not all offense; the Pittsburgh native is a tenacious backchecker that can make an impact all over the ice.

For Arizona, who have two more first-round selections tonight and four more second-round picks tomorrow, Cooley will be at the head of a huge influx of talent over the next few years. The team has barely any players signed long-term, more trades coming for the ones that are, and a brand new identity to be forged as they prepare for a new Tempe arena. The young center is the first true building block for that identity.

USA Hockey Names National Junior Evaluation Camp Roster

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With the significantly delayed 2022 World Junior Championship just around the corner, national organizations are beginning to announce their preparatory rosters for the tournament. Sweden did so earlier today, and now it’s the United States’ turn.

The eligibility rules for this postponed event are the same, but with the tournament taking place during the offseason, expect a higher-than-normal level of talent released to national teams for the occasion. The full U.S. roster (link here) will have that same luxury.

Highlighting the team’s forward core are San Jose Sharks prospect Thomas Bordeleau, Calgary Flames prospect Matt Coronato, and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matt Knies. Knies had the luxury of going to the 2022 Winter Olympics, playing at the most prestigious level of international hockey for the United States. On defense, New Jersey Devils prospect Luke Hughes and Los Angeles Kings prospect Brock Faber will take hold.

The most noteworthy part, though, like Sweden’s, is the amount of 2022-eligible choices who will now be under consideration for the final roster. There’s a strong group of forwards in that regard in addition to Logan Cooley, who made the team the first time around. Also under consideration are forwards Cutter Gauthier, Isaac Howard, Jack Hughes, Cam Lund, Rutger McGroarty, Frank Nazar III, and Jimmy Snuggerud. On defense, there’s Seamus Casey, Ryan Chesley, and Lane Hutson headlining the potential 2022 class.

There’s a very solid mix of youth, high-end skill, and veteran leadership on this United States team, who remain one of the favorites to capture a medal.

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