Speaker 1: But let's do a little hockey on the program.
Speaker 2: Little Utah Hockey Club opening day right around the corner,
Speaker 2: and one of their centers, Logan Cooley, is our guest
Speaker 2: on a Monday Logan, Happy Monday man.
Speaker 1: How you doing good?
Speaker 3: How are you for having me on? I appreciate it.
Speaker 2: I appreciate you. I appreciate you calling promptly right off
Speaker 2: the top. What is it about you hockey guys that
Speaker 2: are so polite and like on time all? What what
Speaker 2: makes you guys such nice guys that like are responsible
Speaker 2: and on time and things like that.
Speaker 3: I don't know. I think that's just I don't like,
Speaker 3: it's simple just hockey guys. I think we're always, you know,
Speaker 3: just pretty child guys down there, you know, humble and
Speaker 3: you know, just like to kind of do things the
Speaker 3: right way, you know. I think that's what it makes
Speaker 3: their sport, you know, really enjoyable to watch and kind
Speaker 3: of just brings a lot of fans. And yeah, but
Speaker 3: I think, just like you said, just down there guys
Speaker 3: and you know, respectful people.
Speaker 2: Is it something about the way that hockey culture is
Speaker 2: when you're growing up. Because I grew up in the Northeast,
Speaker 2: it's a hockey hotbed, and so I you know, encountered
Speaker 2: and got to know a lot of hockey players, a
Speaker 2: lot of pro hockey players.
Speaker 1: And I don't know what it is.
Speaker 2: I don't know if it's the discipline you need to
Speaker 2: play such a hard sport. I don't know if it's
Speaker 2: the culture of the way you're raised playing hockey, or
Speaker 2: maybe you just have good parents. What is it about
Speaker 2: the youth hockey experience logan that seems to breed you know,
Speaker 2: professional hockey players that know what it's like to be
Speaker 2: a pro, the true meaning of being a pro.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think it's kind of all the
Speaker 3: above what you just said that. I think just the
Speaker 3: culture and hockey. It's you know, just all about being selfless,
Speaker 3: you know, kind of putting the team first and and
Speaker 3: everything you do that's what you need to do to
Speaker 3: you know, be successful player associally at the NHL level
Speaker 3: and especially if you want to win. So I think
Speaker 3: just you know, like I said, being selfless, always being
Speaker 3: about the team, doing whatever you needed to kind of
Speaker 3: do to help the team win. I think it's super important.
Speaker 3: And I think you get that in hockey growing up,
Speaker 3: and they kind of teach you at an early age,
Speaker 3: what it's like to kind of be a champion and
Speaker 3: you know, if you want to have a successful career.
Speaker 1: So let's get to know you a little bit. Logan.
Speaker 2: Of course, the Utah hockey experience is new to a
Speaker 2: lot of people around here in Salt Lake, and so
Speaker 2: we'll get to you know, how the preseason is going.
Speaker 2: We'll talk about the opener. But let's get to know
Speaker 2: Logan Cooley a little bit. Where'd you grow up? When
Speaker 2: did you first fall in love with hockey? And when
Speaker 2: did you first realize that you have a shot to
Speaker 2: be pretty good at this?
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Started playing when I
Speaker 3: was around four or five, and I think just my
Speaker 3: whole family was kind of surrounded by hockey. It's kind
Speaker 3: of all I really knew growing up. And I think,
Speaker 3: you know, you always think you're pretty good growing up,
Speaker 3: and then you know it's fortunate to play for the
Speaker 3: national team development prog room in uh Plymouth, Michigan, and
Speaker 3: I think from there you kind of it's the you know,
Speaker 3: top twenty three players American players in your birth and
Speaker 3: I think just from there that's kind of when I
Speaker 3: knew that you know, if I keep going in this
Speaker 3: direction and keep doing what I'm doing, that you know,
Speaker 3: maybe I have a chance to play in the National
Speaker 3: Hockey League.
Speaker 2: So were you, I would imagine you were always a
Speaker 2: goal scorer. I mean, hell, it's your goal scorer now,
Speaker 2: So it's not like they moved you, you know, out
Speaker 2: of goal for you to you know, be pushed up
Speaker 2: to see I Were you always somebody who excelled in
Speaker 2: the attack, scoring goals, even as a young player growing
Speaker 2: up in youth hockey.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure, I think, you know, for me, that's
Speaker 3: what I love to do. I love, you know, scoring goals,
Speaker 3: and you know, when you're scoring goals, you're helping your
Speaker 3: team win. So I think just there's no better feeling
Speaker 3: that you know, when you see that putt go in
Speaker 3: the back than that. And you know, I think everyone's
Speaker 3: always trying to score goals. That's kind of a for
Speaker 3: most most guys is how they can you know, get
Speaker 3: more goals, find ways to you know, score And I
Speaker 3: think for me it's always something that you know, I've
Speaker 3: worked on during the season, during the off season, just
Speaker 3: always trying to find different ways to kind of put
Speaker 3: the puck in the net.
Speaker 2: So when did you first hear the news that you
Speaker 2: guys were moving?
Speaker 1: And where were you? What was it like?
Speaker 2: Like, what was that phone call logan that you received
Speaker 2: when whoever it is told you, hey, you live in Utah?
Speaker 1: Now, what was that like?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it was it was my first year
Speaker 3: in the league, so it's pretty wild. Like I didn't
Speaker 3: really it was all just you know, as a young
Speaker 3: kid comeing to the league, you don't really know what
Speaker 3: to expect. And obviously there was a lot of stuff
Speaker 3: that happened last year, and you know, there was always,
Speaker 3: let's say, you know, a word that we might be moving,
Speaker 3: and you know, you just never really believe it until
Speaker 3: it actually happens. And when we first got word, I think,
Speaker 3: you know, officially we were in Edmonton, I believe, getting
Speaker 3: ready to play a game. I think, you know, a
Speaker 3: GM came in. The coach kind of gave us a
Speaker 3: little talk that you know, we were kind of officially
Speaker 3: heading to Utah. So it was tough to kind of
Speaker 3: process right away. But you know, I know I could
Speaker 3: speak for you know, everyone else on the team also,
Speaker 3: it's just how excited we are to be here, you know,
Speaker 3: It's how excited the fans are, and it's it's pretty
Speaker 3: special to have an ownership like group like Ryan Smith
Speaker 3: and for him to kind of do what he's been doing,
Speaker 3: it's pretty special and it gives us, you know, a
Speaker 3: really good chance to be a successful team in this league.
Speaker 2: Did you know anything about Utah prior to arriving here?
Speaker 2: I mean, you're twenty years old. You grew up, you know,
Speaker 2: in a central part of the country, and then you
Speaker 2: lived in Arizona.
Speaker 1: So did you know anything about Utah?
Speaker 2: And attendant to that question, what have you learned about
Speaker 2: Utah since you landed here?
Speaker 3: Yeah? I mean, if I'm gonna be honest, I didn't
Speaker 3: know too much.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 3: When I first landed here, it was, you know, just
Speaker 3: an unbelievable spot. I think when you're coming on the
Speaker 3: plane and see the mountains and just the city, I
Speaker 3: think it's just unbelievable. So I think, just honestly, just
Speaker 3: getting situated here and everyone just seems like unbelievable people.
Speaker 3: Everyone's so nice here and you know, respectful. So I
Speaker 3: think that's the biggest thing, is just how welcoming it
Speaker 3: is here, And it really made the transition really easy
Speaker 3: as a young kid and a player in this league.
Speaker 2: What sort of style do you guys want to play?
Speaker 2: I mean, preseason is the preseason, and there's been a
Speaker 2: combination of some of the big name guys like you
Speaker 2: when like Clayton playing and some of the young guys
Speaker 2: that won't be playing in the NHL at all have
Speaker 2: been getting some run. So it's hard to really identify
Speaker 2: exactly what the identity of the team is, at least
Speaker 2: from my seat, until we see all you guys play
Speaker 2: together when the reg season and the puck drops in
Speaker 2: just over a week now. But generally speaking, what style
Speaker 2: of play would you tell fans the Utah Hockey Club
Speaker 2: wants to wants to execute this year?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think just we always talked about being,
Speaker 3: you know, a team that plays with speed, plays with pace,
Speaker 3: it's not afraid to do little dirty work and go
Speaker 3: to the dirty areas. But I think, you know, when
Speaker 3: we do all those things, when we play as the
Speaker 3: team and we play the right way, you know, not
Speaker 3: forcing any plays and you know, playing behind the other
Speaker 3: team's defense, I think we're a really tough team to beat.
Speaker 3: And you know, we showed that a little bit last year. Obviously,
Speaker 3: before that that losing streak. But you know, I think
Speaker 3: just with this year, we have a lot more experienced,
Speaker 3: a lot of more players that you know, have have
Speaker 3: won in this league, which is super important. So I think,
Speaker 3: you know, I'm excited to kind of see what we
Speaker 3: could do. But you know, I think when like I said,
Speaker 3: when we're doing those things and you know, we're a
Speaker 3: super tough team to beat, and you know, I'm excited
Speaker 3: to get going here.
Speaker 2: So twenty goals twenty four sis a year ago as
Speaker 2: a rookie, I mean, that's an awesome rookie year. Do
Speaker 2: you have individual metrics that you'd like to see yourself hit?
Speaker 2: Are you one of these guys prior to the season
Speaker 2: you write the number thirty down a million times and
Speaker 2: just manifest yourself scoring thirty goals?
Speaker 1: Like, what's that process look like?
Speaker 2: What are some of the individual goals you hope to
Speaker 2: accomplish this year after a really good rookie season.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think just you know, I would
Speaker 3: think any guy in the league has you know, the
Speaker 3: competitive league. Everyone wants to continue to get better and
Speaker 3: you know, produce and kind of have a name for
Speaker 3: themselves in this league. So I think, you know, for me,
Speaker 3: It's always about you know, the team and doing what
Speaker 3: I need to do to help the team, you know,
Speaker 3: win a championship. So but I think, you know, I'd
Speaker 3: probably be lying if I, you know, said I didn't
Speaker 3: have any goals or specific things I want to hit.
Speaker 3: But yeah, I mean, I think you know, you always
Speaker 3: want to do better than you were the year before.
Speaker 3: And just you know, I'm not a guy that puts
Speaker 3: a specific number. I don't like to have, you know,
Speaker 3: limits on myself. But you know, I'm excited to see
Speaker 3: what I can do with you know, just a year
Speaker 3: of experience in uh, in this league.
Speaker 1: Who are the leaders in that locker room? You know
Speaker 1: when logan, when when.
Speaker 2: Player X, Y or Z stands up and decides to
Speaker 2: address the group, who gets the attention, who gets the respect?
Speaker 2: Who are the I mean you're you're twenty years old,
Speaker 2: so maybe it's you, but you're a young player. Who
Speaker 2: are some of the guys you look up to that
Speaker 2: when they speak in the locker room they have your
Speaker 2: full attention.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we're pretty you know, fortunate to have you know,
Speaker 3: a ton of great leaders mentors on this team. I
Speaker 3: think you know, there's guys that aren't the loudest in
Speaker 3: the room, but you know, show leadership by their playof
Speaker 3: on the ice. Then you have guys that you know
Speaker 3: are a little louder in the locker room, guys like
Speaker 3: you know Lost and Krause, you know, Clayton Keller who,
Speaker 3: let's say, kind of leads more by example. You know,
Speaker 3: just guys like them that kind of you know, been
Speaker 3: around the league for a while. You know, a guy
Speaker 3: like Sergachev's you know, won two Cubs, being cool, who
Speaker 3: has come in Like I think when you guys that
Speaker 3: you know, shown that they've been on winning teams that
Speaker 3: you kind of, you know, listen up when they speak,
Speaker 3: and I think that's super important as a young player
Speaker 3: and just as a young team. I think it's important
Speaker 3: to you know, have a lot of leadership and you know,
Speaker 3: experience that can help us moving forward here.
Speaker 1: Who's the best fighter? Now? Uh?
Speaker 2: The sports fans around here are not used to what
Speaker 2: they're about to see. When you know, the the gloves
Speaker 2: drop and there are punches thrown. It's not something that
Speaker 2: happens in basketball the way that it does in hockey
Speaker 2: or football or really any any sport. It's kind of
Speaker 2: embedded in the culture. Who are Is there one dude
Speaker 2: that stands out run among the rest you Logan when
Speaker 2: it comes to the toughest guy in that locker room
Speaker 2: and the gloves drop.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think you know, he's really made
Speaker 3: a name for himself, had say Liam O'Brien, just the
Speaker 3: way you know, obviously he could throw down. Obviously he's
Speaker 3: a really good fighter. But you know, he's a guy
Speaker 3: that you know will stick up for anyone on our team,
Speaker 3: you know. So it's super awesome to have and you know,
Speaker 3: you honestly feel just a little more comfortable out on
Speaker 3: the ice sheet just knowing that you know he's on
Speaker 3: your side and we'll step up if you ever need him.
Speaker 3: So he's an important piece of our team. And but yeah,
Speaker 3: for sure, say Liam O'Brien.
Speaker 2: What is the origin story of the spicy tuna nickname?
Speaker 1: I've heard the nickname. I just don't know where it
Speaker 1: came from.
Speaker 3: I honestly couldn't tell you. I kind of just went
Speaker 3: on with it when I first came in the league.
Speaker 3: I actually do not know the exact reason, but yeah,
Speaker 3: that's something that I might have to find out here.
Speaker 2: Do you have a nickname, Logan either now or growing up.
Speaker 2: Did you have a nickname when you were coming up
Speaker 2: through the ranks.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think it's just always cool just
Speaker 3: short for the the last name. I think everyone kind
Speaker 3: of you know, just keeps, you know, add like an
Speaker 3: S to their last name or whatever in the hockey world.
Speaker 3: So it's it's pretty short. But you know, I've had
Speaker 3: it since I was, you know, probably ten years old.
Speaker 2: I read that even though you grew up in Pittsburgh
Speaker 2: you were an Novechkin fan. I can't imagine that endeared
Speaker 2: you to your classmates as as a kid.
Speaker 3: Is that the case, Yeah, for sure, definitely we'll get
Speaker 3: ripped a little bit, but yeah, I mean I just,
Speaker 3: you know, from a young age, just loved the Capitals
Speaker 3: and I loved the way obviously they had a bunch
Speaker 3: of teams that were, you know, really skilled, and I
Speaker 3: just love the way Ov played, and so obviously one
Speaker 3: of my favorite players growing up. So it was nice
Speaker 3: to kind of you know, watched them growing up. And
Speaker 3: obviously them in the Penguins had a bunch of great battles,
Speaker 3: so it was always fun, you know, when those two
Speaker 3: teams were going at it.
Speaker 2: So it appears from what I've read that hockey is
Speaker 2: a family affair for you. In the Cooley household, you
Speaker 2: have some brothers that have played some college hockey, some
Speaker 2: uncles that played some college hockey. So so was hockey
Speaker 2: not only something that you loved individually, but something that
Speaker 2: was kind of a family affair as you were coming
Speaker 2: up in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. I think, you know, with my two
Speaker 3: uncles both playing, my two brothers, you know, I just
Speaker 3: remember when my brothers were playing, always wanting to go
Speaker 3: to their practice, and you know, when I was at
Speaker 3: there practice, I always had a stick in my hand.
Speaker 3: I just you know, loved every second of being at
Speaker 3: the ring. So I think it's, you know, for me,
Speaker 3: that's all I kind of knew that's all I wanted
Speaker 3: to do from a young age. And you know, I
Speaker 3: just remember, you know, growing up, I didn't want to
Speaker 3: do anything else but play it, play this game. So
Speaker 3: I'm pretty fortunate that this is my job and this
Speaker 3: is what I love to do. So but you know,
Speaker 3: when you have a family that kind of has played
Speaker 3: Division One, played a little bit of pro you it
Speaker 3: really made me excited and made me want to do
Speaker 3: something special with with this game.
Speaker 1: Is your family still in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2: Any plans for them to come out and check out
Speaker 2: your digs in Salt Lake and maybe see some Utah
Speaker 2: hockey this year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they're still in Pittsburgh, but you know though for
Speaker 3: sure be out here a ton. You know, they my
Speaker 3: parents helped move me in, so you know, I got
Speaker 3: a nice place here and it's gonna be awesome for
Speaker 3: you know when they come out. Even when we went
Speaker 3: I went to that preseason game and at the Delta Center,
Speaker 3: I just got so excited and you know, texted them
Speaker 3: right away just saying how I can't wait for them
Speaker 3: to come see it and you know, get to get
Speaker 3: on that ice. It's gonna be pretty special to have
Speaker 3: my family there. And you know obviously the same and too.
Speaker 2: Is it is it hard for either your parents to
Speaker 2: see you're twenty years old?
Speaker 1: I have a son that's twenty three. My son's three
Speaker 1: years older than you are.
Speaker 2: Okay, so you know you're you're a young player second year.
Speaker 2: Is it tough for mom and dad to see their uh,
Speaker 2: they're you know, their their youngest boy away from away
Speaker 2: from the nest.
Speaker 1: Is it hard for them to see you.
Speaker 2: Go out on their own or on your own or
Speaker 2: are they just proud of what you're doing they just
Speaker 2: kind of have your back.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's definitely a little bit of both. Obviously,
Speaker 3: They you know, want to see me succeed and you know,
Speaker 3: will support me with, you know, with anything I do.
Speaker 3: So I'm lucky in that aspect. But you know, for me,
Speaker 3: it's never easy leaving home. I'd say definitely my mom.
Speaker 3: You know, it's always tough leaving her, and you know
Speaker 3: she doesn't always take it the best way. So many
Speaker 3: time I could, you know, see her throughout the year
Speaker 3: and have her come out. It's awesome and you know,
Speaker 3: you just feel a lot more comfortable and she's around,
Speaker 3: and but yeah, being a young kid, it's it's every
Speaker 3: easy leaving you know, your family. But again, this is
Speaker 3: the sacrifices that you have to make to play this
Speaker 3: game and definitely wouldn't change it for the world for sure.
Speaker 2: When when Logan Cooley isn't playing hockey, what's Logan Cooley doing?
Speaker 2: Is I was talking video games? Are you an outdoors guy?
Speaker 2: You like to get out, you like to read movies?
Speaker 1: What? What?
Speaker 2: What are some things you like to do when you're
Speaker 2: not playing hockey? To kind of keep your mind right.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think it's always especially during the year,
Speaker 3: on your off days, you're usually pretty tired and just
Speaker 3: want to chill. So I think just you know, getting
Speaker 3: on the video games with some of my buddies back home,
Speaker 3: or in the summertime, when you know, not playing hockey,
Speaker 3: it's always fun to get out on the course and
Speaker 3: just kind of relax. It's a good way to kind
Speaker 3: of take your mind off hockey and just be with
Speaker 3: your buddies. So I like to be active too. I
Speaker 3: don't like to just you know, kind of sit inside
Speaker 3: all day. But those are some things that you know
Speaker 3: for sure like to do all right.
Speaker 2: Log and last thing and I'll set you loose, you know.
Speaker 2: Your general manager, Bill Armstrong has been very adamant that
Speaker 2: this is still a rebuild, and it's a step by
Speaker 2: step rebuild. Obviously expediting the process with Sergachev and some others.
Speaker 2: This offseason has allowed some vets cole guys like that
Speaker 2: to kind of permeate into a young locker room and
Speaker 2: maybe you grow faster than any of us expect. Is
Speaker 2: it playoffs or bust? Is it one game at a time?
Speaker 2: Is it let's lift the Trophy. What's what's the team's
Speaker 2: approach to another year and an incremental rebuild, and what
Speaker 2: do you think the fan base should expect.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think, you know, it's always having
Speaker 3: a winning attitude. And for me, I just I don't
Speaker 3: like to have limits on anything. I think anything is
Speaker 3: possible when you know, you come together as a group
Speaker 3: and and you work towards the same goal. So I
Speaker 3: think just you know, taking it day by day. It's
Speaker 3: you know, we have a thing you know around the
Speaker 3: rink that you know, our coach always talks about it
Speaker 3: is just one the day, and I think that's super
Speaker 3: important kind of just focus on whether it's just practice,
Speaker 3: whether it's the game. I think just you know, coming
Speaker 3: together as a group and just putting one foot in
Speaker 3: front of the other. You know. Obviously it's like you said,
Speaker 3: it's still we're trying to kind of build our team
Speaker 3: and being a successful NHL team, and that obviously takes time.
Speaker 3: But you know, I think for us, we're ready to
Speaker 3: kind of you know, start being extremely competitive, start you know,
Speaker 3: winning games and obviously pushing for the playoffs. So that's
Speaker 3: all we have in mind, is, you know, is making
Speaker 3: the playoffs and doing things the right way to make
Speaker 3: sure we get there.
Speaker 2: Last thing, Why ninety two? Why number ninety two? I
Speaker 2: read that's the highest war number in Minnesota.
Speaker 1: Go for history. Why'd you land on ninety two? Yeah?
Speaker 3: When I first committed there, there was a guy that
Speaker 3: took eighteen, and I didn't want to be, you know,
Speaker 3: taking his number. So I were eighteen for a while
Speaker 3: growing up, and I don't know, I just thought there's
Speaker 3: no specific reason. I just thought maybe i'd switch it
Speaker 3: up a little bit and just love the way. Ninety
Speaker 3: two had a pretty good year at Minnesota, so I
Speaker 3: kept it, and you know, I think it looks pretty.
Speaker 2: Good up there, all right, Budd, I appreciate the time.
Speaker 2: It's great to have you guys here. Been a long
Speaker 2: time hockey fan and a long time hosting this market
Speaker 2: without hockey to talk about. So juice to have the
Speaker 2: Utah Hockey Club and stay safe, good health, and we'll
Speaker 2: chat to and thank you Logan, Thank you all right.
Speaker 2: Logan Cooley one of the centers for Utah Hockey Club.
Speaker 2: Number ninety two is his number. He had twenty goals
Speaker 2: and twenty four assists last year, forty four points in
Speaker 2: his rookie season, kick and fly. He's got a lot
Speaker 2: of complete skill sets and you're gonna see a lot
Speaker 2: from him that I think that four to twenty goal
Speaker 2: scores a year ago, and Logan was one of them,
Speaker 2: simply his rookie season.
Speaker 1: I has good Zazi has good speed.
Speaker 2: Yeah, wear's number ninety two and appreciate him stopping by today.
Speaker 2: If you want to meet Logan, I've got good news.
Speaker 2: He'll be at Overtime Cards and Collectibles, which is a
Speaker 2: client of ours and uh a great spot. Been out
Speaker 2: there on remote a couple of different times. My buddy
Speaker 2: Chris owns it. If you like sports, you're gonna love
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Speaker 2: from Cam Rising, Kyante George and Larry Martin with the Jazz,
Speaker 2: and even all your favorite old school players like John
Speaker 2: Stocked and Karl Malone. Some of the cards are even
Speaker 2: signed for all of you hockey fans out there. Logan
Speaker 2: Cooley my guest this hour forward for the Utah Hockey
Speaker 2: Club is gonna be on sites October eighteenth, uh so
Speaker 2: October eighteenth. Check it out one oh six to seven
Speaker 2: three South State Street in Sandy,