Logan Cooley Talks Utah Playoff Push, Vincent Trocheck and Ivan Demidov

Logan Cooley is targeting a point-per-game pace and a deep playoff run for the Utah Mammoth this season, according to reporting by Marco D’Amico. The 22-year-old center opened up about Utah’s growing team culture, his role in recruiting veteran forward Vincent Trocheck, and his summer skates with Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov.

Cooley’s trajectory with Utah follows a productive developmental path since being selected No. 3 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, according to IceHockeyMan. He recorded 44 points across 82 games as an Arizona rookie in the 2023–24 season, followed by 65 points in 75 games for the Utah Hockey Club in 2024–25. Last season with the Mammoth, Cooley posted 43 points in 54 games while missing 28 matches due to a lower-body injury, a scoring rate that projects to 65 points over a full 82-game schedule, as reported by IceHockeyMan.

Building Chemistry and Recruiting Vincent Trocheck

The Mammoth roster enters the upcoming campaign with significant veteran additions, including Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee, designed to support a young core that reached the postseason last spring, according to IceHockeyMan. Utah acquired Trocheck in a trade with the New York Rangers on July 1.

Cooley and Trocheck share a relationship originating from Cooley’s childhood in Pittsburgh, where Trocheck—who is 11 years old his senior—watched him develop and skated alongside him, according to IceHockeyMan. Trocheck noted that he kept an eye on Cooley early on and believed he would make the NHL, eventually bringing the younger skater into a pro training group when Cooley was 15 or 16. That shared Pittsburgh history influenced Trocheck’s arrival in Utah, with Cooley playing a direct role in recruiting him, as reported by Marco D’Amico.

Trocheck brings 56 games of NHL playoff experience to Utah, having advanced to the conference final in 2024 with the New York Rangers and winning gold with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to IceHockeyMan. The Mammoth also added 36-year-old Anders Lee on a three-year, $16.2 million contract on July 1; Lee has played 46 playoff games and reached the Eastern Conference Final with the New York Islanders in 2020.

Summer Skates With Ivan Demidov in Montreal

During an offseason trip to Montreal to shoot a commercial for CCM, Cooley laced up his skates for an informal practice session with Ivan Demidov at the CN Complex after receiving an invitation from Demidov and Adam Nicholas, according to Patrick Guillet of Dose.ca.

In my opinion, he’s already one of the most talented forwards in the league. His reading of the game is elite, and skating with him has allowed us to learn from each other. He’ll be one of the best in the very near future. Montreal is lucky to have him.

Logan Cooley via Dose.ca

Cooley also noted that another Canadiens player nearly joined the session, joking that an appearance from Lane Hutson would have made it an incredible workout, according to Dose.ca. Marco D’Amico reported that Cooley previously hired Adam Nicholas as a skills development coach prior to Nicholas joining the Canadiens organization.

Playoff Lessons and Outlook for Utah

Utah’s recent postseason experience ended in a Western Conference First Round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, where the Mammoth dropped the final three games after holding a 2-1 series lead, as reported by IceHockeyMan. Cooley recorded three points in the first three games before going scoreless the rest of the series.

Cooley acknowledged that the series against Vegas taught him the necessity of adapting when opponents take away his primary scoring options, according to IceHockeyMan. With the additions of Trocheck and Lee, the Mammoth aim to provide net-front presence and veteran leadership to help their young core navigate the rigors of an 82-game schedule and return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.