Devin Cooley is becoming just as much of a story off the ice as he is in net.
The Calgary Flames goalie has stepped into a bigger role over the last four games, and the results have followed: Calgary has won four straight with Cooley taking over in goal. At 29 years old and in his second season as a regular for the Flames, he has quickly become one of the breakout names of the NHL season.
But the real buzz has come from the way he talks after games. Cooley’s postgame interviews have turned into must-see TV because he explains the life of a pro athlete with a mix of honesty, humor and a weirdly calm self-awareness. One clip that blew up last week featured him explaining that he’s having fun, but not too much fun, because he needs to let his unconscious brain handle the work.
“I have to let my unconscious brain do the work because it reacts a lot quicker.”
In another interview, Cooley said he is completely in control of his mind, which lets him avoid overthinking when he’s at home reading to his rabbit. ESPN liked him enough to call him the most interesting man in hockey in a profile this week.
Then came his turn on “SportsCenter.”
ESPN brought Cooley on, and apparently he impressed enough that they had him back later in the show to react to clips of other athletes. One of those clips featured New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston saying, “My take on the Jameis Winston experience is I am called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.” When asked what Winston was trying to say, Cooley laughed and called it “sounds like a little bit of religious psychosis.”
For now, the Flames will hope the wins keep coming and the interviews keep getting better. Calgary is back in action Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET against the Edmonton Oilers.
In Other News...
Oilers Lineup Shift Gives Flames Fans One Rivalry Concern
A familiar wrinkle in the Battle of Alberta has surfaced with the Oilers still sorting out their lineup before meeting the Flames. Zach Hyman and Devon Levi remain on injured reserve, and Hymans absence is tied to a stiff neck injury that sounded more worrisome at first than it does now. For Calgary, the bigger concern may be on the other side of the roster sheet, where Edmonton continues to juggle its pieces and try to get the right mix back on the ice.
Jason Dickinson could be available against the Flames after a limited run of appearances this season, while the blue line is getting reshuffled with Mattias Ekholm back in the lineup. That means Jake Walman is the odd man out for now, as Edmonton keeps working through pairings involving Ekholm, Bouchard, Shea, Murphy and Mukhamadullin. For a rivalry game that already carries plenty of edge, the possibility of fresh bodies and changing roles only adds another layer of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Flames May Have Found The Blue-Line Duo That Changes Everything
The Flames kept rolling with a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, their fourth straight victory and fifth in six games, and the result offered another glimpse of how much cleaner this team has looked on the back end. Calgary has spent much of its retooling effort on the blue line, and the early returns have made that focus easy to see in the standings as well as in the structure of the game.
Ryan Huska singled out imon Nemec for the way he has settled in and complemented Kevin Bahl, a pairing that has started to give Calgary something it has been searching for: a dependable shutdown option it can trust in tougher minutes. Nemecs arrival came with plenty of expectation because of the price paid to bring him in and the commitment the organization made afterward, and the next step is seeing whether this duo can keep turning solid nights into something more lasting for the Flames. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Prospect Is Giving Calgary Real Hope On A Troubling Draft Trend
The Flames have had a hard time getting real value out of second-round picks since 2015, which is why Theo Stockselius already carries a little extra weight as a recent selection. Calgary is hoping the Swedish forward can help tilt that conversation in a better direction, and his early work with Djurgrdens IF in the Swedish Hockey League has offered a reason to pay attention.
Stockselius is getting meaningful ice time in Sweden, and Flames director of player development Ray Edwards has pointed to the growing effect he is having on the game, especially around the offensive side of things. Calgary will still want to see the development continue before drawing any firm conclusions, but for a franchise searching for second-round help, his progression is at least giving the organization something it has not had enough of in that draft slot: genuine optimism. [Read more 🡒]