Former San Jose Sharks goaltender Devin Cooley is back in the spotlight, and this time it’s because of what he’s doing on the ice for the Calgary Flames.
The 29-year-old Los Gatos native has built a reputation for giving candid, memorable postgame interviews, but his recent stretch of strong play has pushed his name into a different kind of headline. Cooley was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week after helping Calgary put together a sharp run in net.
His path to that recognition started with a rough opening to the season. Cooley stumbled through his first two starts, then caught fire.
He stopped 34 of 36 shots in a win over the Carolina Hurricanes for his first victory of the year just over a week ago, then held the Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings to two goals total on 68 combined shots. That three-game stretch gave him his latest league honor.
Cooley’s time with San Jose was brief during the 2023-24 season. He appeared in six games for the Sharks, and while his on-ice impact was limited, he made a bigger impression with his personality.
After a strong outing against the Seattle Kraken, he went viral for saying, "Nothing's really gonna matter, we're all gonna die, you know? It sounds a little grim, but it helps keep me grounded."
A former San Jose Jr. Shark, Cooley is now finding his footing in Calgary while competing with another former Jr. Shark, Dustin Wolf, for playing time.
In Other News...
Sharks Shuffle Lines Again After Another Defensive Letdown
The first home practice after a six-game road trip brought another round of changes for the San Jose Sharks, this time in both the defensive pairs and the forward lines. After a rough loss to the Boston Bruins, the team spent its session trying to reset the structure in front of its own end, with coach Ryan Warsofsky and several players acknowledging the breakdowns that have too often made life harder than it needs to be.
Among the changes, the Sharks mixed up their defense combinations and gave one of their younger forwards a promotion higher in the lineup. The hope is that a new look can bring a cleaner start to shifts and a little more stability, but the bigger question is whether the shuffle addresses the issues that showed up in Boston or just keeps the same problems moving around the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Suddenly Have A Goalie Decision That Could Shape This Season
Early in the 2026-27 season, the Sharks have already run into one of those decisions that can quietly shape a year: how to handle their goalie rotation while Yaroslav Askarov sorts through an uneven start. The young netminder was supposed to be part of the long-term answer, but Alex Nedeljkovic has given San Jose a steadier option in the crease, and that has changed the conversation almost immediately.
For a team still trying to balance development with results, the choice is less about picking a savior than picking the right path forward. Askarovs talent remains central to the franchises future, but the Sharks are expected to manage his workload carefully as they look to build his confidence and keep him progressing over the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Catch Sharks At A Good Time In Crucial Road Matchup
The Sharks are still showing signs of progress under Ryan Warsofsky, but the next stretch is going to test how real that growth is. San Jose has started to look more organized in stretches, with Macklin Celebrini helping drive the attack, yet the team is still dealing with defensive lapses and the kind of injury issues that can make any step forward hard to sustain.
A road swing that includes Buffalo, Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary should tell the Sharks a lot about where they stand, especially at five-on-five and in their own end. They will need to lean on their young core and find ways to stay competitive even while the lineup is thinner than it would like to be, because these are the sort of games that can either reinforce the progress or expose how much work remains. [Read more 🡒]