If it wasn’t obvious how good incoming Gophers recruit Logan Cooley is before last week’s NHL Draft, it is now after he was selected third overall by the Arizona Coyotes.
Cooley, who just turned 18 on May 4, is a future star who could be an immediate force for the Gophers. One way or another, he’s one of the most hyped freshmen in Golden Gophers hockey history.
“Just a dynamic hockey player. Talent is oozing off the charts. He can score, he can set up. He’s a 200-foot player,” Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said July 9 on KFAN’s Beyond the Pond.
Earlier in the interview, Motzko likened Gophers captain Brock Faber to NFL legend Lawrence Taylor, noting that Faber is a “beast” on defense. Motzko compared Cooley’s game to a pair of Gopher greats.
“I throw this out to Gopher fans: He’s in the category of Neal Broten, Brian Bonin. Just big-time talent. They want the puck. When they get it they’re going to make exciting things happen,” said Motzko. “He’s electric. He’s going to be fun to have in our program.”
Cooley, who hails from Pittsburgh, scored 28 goals with 48 assists in 51 games as a 17-year-old in the U.S. National Team Development Program during the 2021-22 season.
Cooley played the Gophers with the USNTDP last year and he assisted on two of the team’s three goals in a 5-3 loss at Minnesota inside 3M Arena at Mariucci.
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