Logan Cooley returning to Minnesota

Arizona Coyotes prospect Logan Cooley will return to Minnesota for his sophomore season of college hockey, the Gophers confirmed on Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Cooley was drafted by the Coyotes with the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft out of the U.S. National Team Development Program.
• The 19-year-old forward was named a Hobey Baker finalist and scored 22 goals and 60 points in 39 games with the Golden Gophers last season. Quinnipiac defeated top-ranked Minnesota 3-2 in overtime in the Frozen Four to capture the 2023 NCAA men’s championship.
• Cooley also represented the United States at the 2022 and 2023 world juniors, helping the team to a bronze medal in 2023.

How beneficial will this be for Cooley?

It’s not a huge surprise as it had been rumored for some time that Cooley would return to Minnesota. Arizona is not in a position to win yet; it keeps him in a stable, competitive environment with a team that should contend again next season. A lot of top prospects in recent years have been doing two years at college for development purposes. — Corey Pronman

This is big news for the Golden Gophers, who get one of their Hobey Baker finalists back for another year. It’s not a major surprise. Being around Cooley with the team at the Frozen Four, you could tell how much he was enjoying college life and his teammates. With all the uncertainty surrounding the Coyotes, this gives Cooley a chance to further develop in a stable, contending program and chase that national title he came a few minutes shy of in April. I asked Cooley about the NHL then.

“We’re always talking about it,” said Cooley. “It’s so hard not to. We all want to play in the NHL.

“There’s no point to rush. But if you feel you’re ready, you feel ready. We’re still in college, still a kid. Once you go to the NHL, it’s all business.” — Joe Smith

Required Reading:

(Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)