After Logan Cooley got his start in the inaugural season of Sidney Crosby’s Little Penguins Learn to Play Program, which is when he first fell in love with the game, he remembers the captain coming out to skate with the kids.
Now, the West Mifflin native is set to take the ice with Crosby once again – this time, as a member of the opposing team, when the Coyotes come to Pittsburgh for Cooley’s first NHL game in his hometown on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
“It's gonna be pretty special, obviously,” Cooley said. “Being a Pittsburgh kid, the Penguins are always on the TV, and you're always watching him do his thing out there. To be able to share the ice with him and compete against him, play against him, it's gonna be pretty cool.”
Cooley remembers going to Pittsburgh’s first-round playoff contest against the Rangers in 2016 where Jeff Zatkoff immortalized himself as “Mr. Game 1.” He also tried to see Alex Ovechkin whenever the Capitals were in town, as Cooley loved watching one of the greatest goal scorers of all time. As he would take in the action unfolding in front of him, Cooley envisioned the future that’s become his present.
“Any kid playing hockey when they're little, they always dream about playing in the NHL. Going to Pens games when I was little, I always wanted to be out on that ice, whether it was with the Penguins or with a different team,” Cooley said. “Now, it's finally starting to come true, and I'm really looking forward to it.”
This game has been circled on the calendar ever since the 19-year-old inked his first professional contract last summer, about a year after Arizona took him No. 3 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, making him the highest-ever draft pick from Pittsburgh. Even then, Cooley said it was hard not to think about that night, "especially since I drive by that rink (PPG Paints Arena) going to practice every day," he said.
Cooley had to laugh when asked how many people were expected to be there, saying he didn’t have a number off the top of his head, “but I know there’s a ton coming” – and they’ve already got two suites set aside.
Watching Cooley compete at PPG Paints Arena is not only going to be a proud moment for his support system, but for the region as a whole, as his story speaks volumes about how far grassroots hockey has come in the Pittsburgh area … starting with the opportunity that Little Penguins provides.
“For him to give you free equipment, and just for kids to go out there and have fun and see what it's all about… when I first stepped foot on that ice, I knew I loved it, and wanted to do something special with it,” Cooley said. “So, it was definitely huge, and it was a huge start for my career. It’s super fun that I have a guy like Crosby to kind of get me started with the game.”
Cooley has always spoken reverentially about the influence of the local products from that 2011 NHL Draft who came before him, which has only increased since Logan started skating and training with Vancouver Canucks alternate captain J.T. Miller, New York Rangers forward Vince Trocheck, and Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson when they are all home in the offseason.
“They've been great to me helping me with small things on the ice and just telling me what the NHL life is like, and, pushing each other helped me get better too,” Cooley said. “It’s always fun competing against guys in the NHL, especially a guy like J.T. Miller, you see what he's doing in this league (he ranks second in the NHL in points after putting up a career high 99 last season).
“Any time you could learn against some of the best players in the league, it's awesome. I'm happy to have them in Pittsburgh, and it's fun competing with them in the summertime.”
That being said, Cooley is the first player to come up through the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, as the program didn’t come together until after those guys were drafted. Cooley never left Pittsburgh for better training opportunities elsewhere, instead staying close to home and playing five seasons with the program based out of UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
“Obviously, the facility is second to none. I'd say just the resources you have there too, whether it's strength and conditioning coaches, skills coaches – the staff they have there is unbelievable,” Cooley said.
“Just the way that they push the players there, you know you're going against up against some of the best competition. When I was there, we played a super tough schedule, and it just helps you become a better person and a better player, also. So, super grateful that I had the chance to play there, and definitely helped me a lot in my career.”
After joining the U.S. National Team Development Program and playing two seasons there, Cooley spent a year at the University of Minnesota after getting drafted, putting up 22 goals and 38 points in 39 games with the Gophers. In the summer, he made the difficult decision to leave school and move on to the next phase of his career.
“There were a lot of discussions on what to do. Definitely took a while to see what the best fit was,” Cooley said. “Going to the Coyotes I thought was the best fit… I want to play at the highest level I can, I want to be pushed every day, I want to play with the best.”
