When seeking optimism, one wouldn't typically look to a backup goaltender for the Calgary Flames. The Wet Logs are bringing up the league's rear, and they've contractually and metaphorically hitched their wagon firmly to Dustin Wolf for the next eight seasons. A No. 2 netminder is not going to get much playing time, and what time he does get will statistically involve giving up a lot more goals than ones viewed from 200 feet away.
Devin Cooley, of all goaltenders out there, probably needs optimism more than most. The 28-year-old's road to the NHL was long and winding and filled with crappy teams, bouncing around the minor-league affiliates of the Predators, Sabres, and Sharks before getting the call-up for all of six games in San Jose in 2023–24. Without optimism, a guy with that career path probably still isn't playing professional hockey.
After one more long year spent in the AHL, Cooley is the undisputed No. 2 in Calgary now, and he's getting his chances—without, until Wednesday, any wins to show for it. Prior to last night's tilt against the Sabres, he was 0-2-1 in three starts and two relief appearances, while giving up under two goals a game; that's life behind a popgun offense.
But on Wednesday, a weird thing happened. In the third period, after giving back a 2-0 lead, the Flames started to score goals. Goal after goal! Jonathan Huberdeau forced his way in to set up Morgan Frost just two minutes into the period. Mikael Backlund piled on a few minutes later. Rasmus Andersson sprung Joel Farabee on a breakaway to make it 5-2. By the time Matt Coronato banked in a stupid-lucky sixth goal off both the glass and Buffalo's goalie, it would have been normal and healthy for Cooley to start thinking about his first win as a Flame.
Goalies, however, don't do normal or healthy.
"Nothing matters, nobody cares, we're all going to die."- Devin Cooley pic.twitter.com/Mo63PkG4KJ
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 20, 2025
"You really have to ground yourself. So I just like—I think I’ve said this before, but I just go like, ‘Nothing matters, nobody cares, we’re all gonna die.’ And I just like, say that over and over and over again so that way, I don’t get too excited.
“Because as soon as I started getting too excited and I’m like, ‘Oh, this could be it! This could be the win! We’re playing really well!’ then I’ll start doing stupid stuff and I’ll give up dumb goals because I’m being stupid, and so if I just keep repeating those words over and over again, it just grounds me and I can really just stay in the moment and not get too excited.”
Interestingly, this mindset is exactly how I compose blogs. If I start to think a blog I'm writing is any good, I remind myself of my inevitable death and the deaths of all my loved ones. Thankfully, it hasn't come up yet on this one.
