Cooley Dazzles in Preseason Debut as Coyotes Top Kings 5-3

MELBOURNE, Australia – The Arizona Coyotes opened their preseason schedule against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday (Friday night in the US), showcasing the NHL much to the delight of over 13,000 fans at Rod Laver Arena.

With two slick moves, Logan Cooley may have just put the entire world on notice, as well.

Cooley scored a highlight-reel goal in his first-career NHL action, Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz each recorded two points, and five different Coyotes scored as Arizona topped L.A. 5-3 in the first-ever NHL game played in the southern hemisphere. Connor Ingram made 29 saves for the Coyotes, including several critical stops down the stretch to secure the win.

Adrian Kempe, Trevor Moore, and Viktor Arvidsson each scored for the Kings, while Pheonix Copley took the loss after allowing four goals through two periods. David Rittich played the third period for LA, stopping all of the shots he faced.

Keller opened the scoring in the second with some flash of his own, banking a shot off Copley’s back and into the net for what became the first-ever NHL goal scored in the Southern Hemisphere. The 25-year-old picked up right where he left off following a career season last year, and the Coyotes’ top line of him, Barrett Hayton, and Schmaltz was one of the most effective of the night, combining for five points.

“It was definitely cool, I’d never thought I would score a goal in Australia,” Keller said. “It’s great the NHL decided to come over here, help grow the game, and like we said before, it’s great to come out here early, start camp, get to know the new guys, and take it into the season.”

The teams traded jabs throughout an action-packed second, with goals from Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse, but Cooley stole the show at 11:40 of the middle frame with an unforgettable goal, beating three Kings defenders with a spin-o-rama move before pulling the puck back to his forehand and beating Copley.

Cooley was all smiles following the goal, a satisfying payoff following a costly turnover in the neutral zone that ultimately led to the Kings’ first goal of the game just moments earlier.

90 seconds later, he brought all of Rod Laver Arena to its feet.

“After that pizza I threw up the middle, I thought I had to do something,” Cooley said with a laugh. “It was just a hockey play, I thought I had some space, and I thought I missed the net, actually, but I saw the guys put their arms up.

“It definitely felt good to get that one, and it was an awesome game to play in.”

The move didn’t just impress the crowd, either, as Keller – a three-time All-Star – was also blown away by what he saw.

“That was one of the best moves I’ve ever seen,” he said. “The spin-o-rama was one thing, but then to have the patience to pull it to your forehand and then finish it, it’s definitely the best I’ve ever seen.”

Cooley centered a line between Dylan Guenther and Jason Zucker, and the three appeared to have good chemistry throughout the night. The trio finished with three points, but that’s not what caught head coach André Tourigny’s attention following the game.

Instead, he mentioned the role that the 31-year-old veteran has played in Cooley’s young career.

“Zuck was really good for Cooley today,” Tourigny said. “He talked to him a lot on the bench. He kept him composed when tough times happened, and he had constant communication about certain things, certain movements, and the way to open the ice. You want that kind of leadership, big brother, or call if whatever you want. We have that.”

The 19-year-old Cooley, who also scored the only goal in the exhibition shootout following the game, maintained a level head regarding his first-ever goal, and said he won’t celebrate too much until he notches one that will officially count in the record books.

Even so, he certainly got the attention of thousands of hockey fans in Australia – and quite possibly beyond.

“It doesn’t officially count, but obviously it was a fun game to play in,” Cooley said. “It felt good to get that one under my belt, but we’ll wait for the real one to be that happy about it.”