Why Devin Cooley is the most interesting man in hockey — SkimNews
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- Devin Cooley was named the NHL’s second star of the week ending Oct. 25; during four consecutive Calgary starts this season, he posted a 1.50 goals-against average and 0.955 save percentage.
- Michael Gervais said the athletes he works with spend about 20% of their time in a flow state and that Cooley appears to remain there far longer, relying on trained unconscious responses rather than conscious overthinking.
- Devin Cooley said his conscious brain is “bad at playing goalie,” so he lets his unconscious brain react faster; away from hockey, he reads with his rabbit Tito and learns linear algebra.
- Mike Condon said Cooley’s approach offers a different mental-game roadmap than “think positively,” while describing his own style during a 129-game NHL career as courage rather than confidence.
- Calgary Flames signed Cooley as an unheralded free agent two years ago; he rose from projected AHL starter to platooning with Dustin Wolf and earned a 2026 IIHF World Championship invitation after a 0.909 save percentage last season.
- Jason LaBarbera said Cooley plays off feel and combines size with mobility, quick reactions, recovery and patience, despite Calgary initially having “no plan” when it signed him.
- Ryan Strome said Cooley’s joy and exhaustive search for options are infectious to the room, while defenseman Joel Hanley said the two have deep philosophical conversations over dinner.
Why it matters: Cooley logged a 1.50 goals-against average and 0.955 save percentage over four consecutive starts for Calgary, while teammates describe his joy as infectious. That combination gives the Flames a starting goalie with both elite numbers and an approach teammates visibly value, rather than a reputation built only on viral postgame lines.
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