Coyotes sign ’22 first-round pick Logan Cooley to 3-year deal

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes signed 2022 first-round draft pick Logan Cooley on Thursday to a three-year, entry-level contract, after the center changed his mind about returning to Minnesota for another college season.

The 19-yeaer-old Cooley was the third overall pick last year. The Pittsburgh native led Minnesota in scoring as a freshman with 22 goals and 38 assists in 39 games, helping the Gophers reach the NCAA championship game. The 5-foot-10, 181-pound Cooley was second in the country with 60 points and had at least one point in 32 games.

Cooley played for the bronze-winning U.S. team at the World Junior Championship in Canada earlier this year, finishing second in the tournament in scoring.

Cooley initially announced he would return to the Gophers for the 2023-24 season. He said on his Instagram account that he realized “deep down” he was ready to move up.

“I want to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming an NHL player,” Cooley said. “The hardest part of coming to this decision was feeling like I was letting people down, but I have to be true to myself and do what’s in my heart. I’m so grateful for my time as a Gopher.”