Before the 2022 NHL entry draft, Cooley ranked between second and fifth by sports media among draft prospects.[3][4][5][6] He was drafted third overall by the Arizona Coyotes.[7] In May 2023, he announced that he intended to return to Minnesota for the following season.[8] Despite his previous announcement of returning to Minnesota, Cooley signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Coyotes on July 27, 2023.[9] Cooley impressed during the Coyotes 2023 training camp[2] and made the opening day roster, playing in his first NHL game, a 4–3 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils. Cooley had two assists in the game, setting up the game-tying goal by Nick Schmaltz.[10] Cooley scored his first NHL goal against Lukáš Dostál of the Anaheim Ducks in a 4–3 loss on November 1.[11]
Shortly after the end of the 2023–24 season, the Coyotes' franchise was suspended and team assets were subsequently transferred to the expansion team Utah Hockey Club; as a result, Cooley became a member of the Utah team.[12]
Cooley made his senior national team debut for the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded four goals and eight assists in ten games and helped Team USA win their first gold medal since 1933.[14]
Personal life
Cooley is from the borough of West Mifflin in the greater Pittsburgh area. With his third-overall selection in the 2022 NHL entry draft, he became the highest-drafted player to date from the Pittsburgh area, surpassing previous first-round picks J. T. Miller (15th overall) and R. J. Umberger (16th overall).[15]
Cooley's cousin, L.J. Mooney, is an ice hockey player who was drafted in the 4th round (113th overall) of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and committed to play college ice hockey at Minnesota.[17]
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