Coyotes GM says Logan Cooley won’t be loaned to Team USA for World Juniors

Logan Cooley won’t be loaned by the Arizona Coyotes to Team USA for the upcoming 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong said in an interview with PHNX Sports‘ Craig Morgan published on Tuesday.

Cooley, 19, has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in his first 20 NHL games with the Coyotes this season and is currently centering the team’s top line with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz.

The 5’10” forward has represented the United States at the last two World Junior Championships, finishing second in tournament scoring last year (behind only Connor Bedard) with seven goals and 14 points in seven games.

The 2024 World Juniors are slated to take place from December 26 to January 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden. When asked by Morgan whether Cooley will be released by Arizona to play for Team USA at the World Juniors for a third time, Armstrong kept his response brief: “No. He’s going to play for the Coyotes this year.”

The Coyotes originally selected Cooley with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Pittsburgh, PA product spent the 2022–23 season with the NCAA’s Minnesota Golden Gophers, finishing as a runner-up in balloting for the Hobey Baker Award after scoring 22 goals and 60 points in 39 games as a freshman.

Playing alongside Matthew Knies and Jimmy Snuggerud on one of the top forward lines in the nation, Cooley helped lead the Golden Gophers to the NCAA national championship game against the Quinnipiac Bobcats.

Minnesota blew a 2–0 lead in the game and lost 3–2 in overtime, with Quinnipiac — led by fellow Coyotes prospect Sam Lipkin — winning its first-ever national title. Cooley was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team in recognition of his efforts during Minnesota’s run to the Frozen Four.

Cooley currently ranks second among NHL rookies in points and is tied with Anaheim Ducks rookie defenseman Pavel Mintyukov for first in assists. He ended a brief personal scoring drought by setting up Clayton Keller’s game-winning goal in the Coyotes’ 2–0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.

The Coyotes (9–9–2) will return to action on Tuesday night to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Mullett Arena in Tempe, AZ.