The Detroit Red Wings have a history of star netminders. From Harry Lumley and Terry Sawchuk to Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard, the Original Six franchise has had a number of standout goaltenders who have led the team to success.

Now, the team has a young man in their system who is primed and ready for his chance at the big time.

Sebastian Cossa was a highly-touted prospect when the Red Wings took him in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft. It came after the Hamilton, Ont. native posted a ridiculous 17-1-1 record with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League, with a 1.57 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage and four shutouts.

Since turning pro during the 2022-23 season, Cossa has fine-tuned his game to a point where he’s simply buying his time, waiting for his opportunity in Hockeytown. Yet, he knows that he has to prove he can be consistently great at this current residence, Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

“I think for me personally, you need to come here and dominate before you get to that next level,” Cossa said in an interview with Daily Faceoff. “So, that’s my goal, and I think, dominate throughout a good period of time.”

Cossa received a taste of the NHL last season, when he was called up in early December. He spent a little over a week with the Wings, making his NHL debut on Dec. 9. He came in relief for Ville Husso against the Buffalo Sabres. Though he gave up a couple of goals early in his appearance, Cossa settled in and helped Detroit grab a win in the shootout.

It was part of a relatively good 2024-25 season for Cossa. Though his numbers dipped in the second half of the season, he was named to the AHL’s Central Division All-Star Team, finishing with over 20 wins for the second year in a row.

Cossa entered this year in a slightly different situation than the past couple of campaigns, where the Red Wings have had at least three NHL regulars in their system. In 2023-24, the team ran with the trio of Alex Lyon, Ville Husso and James Reimer. Last season, Lyon and Cam Talbot were the tandem in Detroit, with Husso and Jack Campbell seeing a lot of time with the Griffins.

This year, the Red Wings have begun the season with Talbot and John Gibson, making Cossa the consensus No. 3 goaltender for the first time in his young pro career.

The elevated role has seemingly inspired the 2022 IIHF World Junior gold medalist. Along with Michal Postava, Cossa helped the Griffins get off to a franchise-best start, winning each of their first eight games, and not losing in regulation until Nov. 21. In starting 10 of Grand Rapids’ first 14 games, he has a record of 9-1-0, leading the AHL with a 1.51 GAA and .945 SV%. Cossa also has two shutouts this season, including a 26-save donut against the Iowa Wild this past Sunday.

In giving up just nine goals in six games in November, Cossa was named the league’s goaltender of the month.

At first glance, you see his size, standing 6-foot-7, with long legs and a massive wingspan. Cossa doesn’t just use his size, but his exceptional athletic ability, which helps him move effectively in the blue paint. Along with working on his physical attributes, Cossa admits he’s taken great strides in his mental approach to the daily grind of pro hockey.

“Especially as a goaltender, I think a lot of negativity falls on you. If you’re not winning, you take a lot of that load, which is fair and acceptable. I think for me, as I’ve learned…not taking all the blame sometimes…I think just as I’ve gotten older, as I’ve gotten more experience, just kind of trying to balance that out. Not getting too high. Not too low. It’s pretty easy to feel on top of the world when you’re winning a lot of games and stuff, and obviously, you know the opposite for losing…just trying to stay even keeled as the season goes along.”

The Red Wings are off to a relatively solid start, showing glimpses of being playoff hopefuls. However, the goaltending has been rather mediocre. Gibson, the team’s “big” acquisition this past offseason, has a 3.62 GAA and a .868 SV%, while Talbot has nine of the team’s 14 wins, carrying a 3.01 GAA and a .884 SV%.

While the two veterans are making the big bucks, Cossa has certainly earned a true shot at the NHL level. Heading into the year, Cossa set his mind on making an even greater impression on the Detroit brass.

“[Talbot and Gibson are] the NHL tandem, but still coming into camp and putting some questions into some minds, I’m really showing what I have and trying to crack [the roster]. Just trying to get that chance for a couple games. … Knowing when I was coming down here, just being prepared, trying to make sure that I was ready for a big load down here. With that, if I do get a chance, you know, being ready for when that time comes.”

The 23-year-old admits that does keep an eye on how the Wings are doing, but isn’t focused on how the goaltenders are performing.

“When I am watching hockey, it is the Wings usually. So, yeah, you’re paying attention. You’re seeing what’s going on. But at the end of the day…it is really focusing on what you can do here. The only way you’re going to get up there is if you excel and dominate down here. So, it doesn’t really matter how they’re doing up there. If you’re not playing well down here, they’re not going to give you a chance. So, it’s kind of a cutthroat business in that way.”

Cossa is heading into the final year of his entry-level contract. He’s trying not to let it affect his psyche while maintaining his goal of being successful, both as an individual and as a team player.

“For me, it’s winning, it’s playing a lot of games. That’s the biggest thing for me. I think, obviously, it’s a contract year. Whether you put much thought into it or not, it’s there still. So for me, just trying to show the best version of myself. I want to play a lot of hockey games. I want to win a lot of hockey games.”

In 93 AHL games, Cossa has a record of 53-26-14, with a 2.41 GAA, a .913 SV% and five shutouts. He’s had a small sample of playing some important hockey in the spring, as he has been the No. 1 guy for Grand Rapids’ trips to the Calder Cup Playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

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