What’s different for Devin Cooley this time around in the NHL?
Jr. Sharks alum and Los Gatos native Devin Cooley made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks with a 4.98 goals-against-average and .870 Save % in six games played in 2023-24.
Through five games this season as Dustin Wolf’s back-up with the Calgary Flames, Cooley has a 1.75 GAA and .935 Save %.
“All the tools were there: I had size, mobility, speed, whatever; I had everything,” Cooley reflected. “There were some technical issues that I had to work through, and it’s really hard to work through those issues when you’re playing the best league in the world.”
Despite a rough showing in the NHL in 2023-24, Cooley signed a two-year contract with the Calgary Flames and spent last season in the American Hockey League, getting selected to the AHL All-Star Game.
While the 29-year-old will not start tonight against his former team, he reflected on his time with the San Jose Sharks, his friendship with former Milwaukee Admirals teammate Yaroslav Askarov, and how cool it is that he’s in tandem with South Bay native Wolf in the NHL.
He also jokingly throws Wolf under the bus and shares a great Askarov story about the Russian netminder’s infamous bench press celebration.