Devin Cooley got a new contract.
That means Mackenzie Skapski is getting a Rolex. Not the most expensive Rolex on the market, mind you, but the Calgary Wranglers goaltending development coach is getting a Rolex nonetheless.
“I said if I ever signed a bigger deal I’d buy him a Rolex,” Cooley explained on Tuesday morning, shortly after signing a two-year contract extension that will pay him US$1.35 million annually until the end of the 2027-28 season with the Calgary Flames.
“He sent me a text the other day saying, ‘I’ll take the most expensive watch on the planet now,’ and I said, ‘You’ll get a basic Rolex and you’ll like it’. “
Cooley gives Skapski a lot of credit for getting him to where he is today. The two worked together all of last season, the 28-year-old’s first with the Flames organization, and put him in a place where he could win the backup job behind Dustin Wolf with the NHL club coming out of training camp this year.
Even then, though, there were questions about whether Cooley could actually give the Flames a chance to win games. He didn’t have a great training camp, posting a 4.08 goals against average and an .846 save percentage.
There were seemingly credible reports from insiders around the NHL that suggested the Flames were actively searching for a backup in the trade market and head coach Ryan Huska seemed hesitant to put Cooley between the pipes as the Flames stumbled out of the gate to start the year.
Today, though, that all feels like a long time ago.
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Cooley has more than proven he belongs in an NHL crease so far this season. In 13 appearances, he’s posted a 2.40 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.
“I know there was a lot of talk before, in the pre-season, people were questioning,” said Flames GM Craig Conroy. “The one thing we always said internally was that in talking to the goalie department, they believed Devin was the guy to do it and we had to give him a chance.
“He’s played well. He’s played really well. It’s not easy to do what he’s doing. He doesn’t play for long stretches but he comes in and gives you a (good) game. It’s probably one of the tougher jobs in hockey. He’s out there every day doing all the extra, he doesn’t complain, he works hard.”
Cooley also fully understands that he’s Wolf’s backup. His performances in the net this season have earned him more playing time, but even on Tuesday when he was talking about signing the new contract, he spoke glowingly about the opportunity to “play behind one of the best goalies in the world.”
The two goaltenders have a good relationship. They’re friends off the ice and push one another to be better on it.
“It’s everything to me,” Cooley said. “Every team I’ve been on, I’ve always tried to be really close to my goalie partners. One, I’m a little socially awkward so maybe the forwards don’t like spending much time with me, but the goalies, nobody understands what a goalie goes through besides the goalies.
“It’s so important to have someone you can vent to and confide in without feeling like they’re going to hold it against you or judge you. Technically, you’re competing, but in reality it’s not a zero-sum game. If Wolfie goes in and plays 10 amazing games, that doesn’t mean when I go in I’m going to suck because he got all the good games.”
Calgary Wranglers goaltending coach Mackenzie Skapski, left, chats with Dustin Wolf during a break in practice in 2024, when Wolf was developing with the Wranglers.
So far, the tandem has worked well for the Flames. Wolf didn’t have the best start to the season, but Cooley’s strong play meant the Flames could lean on him for a run of games in late November and give their starter the chance to reset and work on his game.
Ever since, Wolf’s been back to his best.
That’s what you want from your backup — the ability to provide a little relief when needed and win games. Cooley’s proven he can do that and now he’ll have two-and-a-half more seasons to show it again and again.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess. Most players aren’t content being backups forever, but for now, Cooley is thrilled with where he’s at.
“That’s something we discussed a lot actually,” Cooley said. “My biggest concern was my age, I’m a lot older and the year is going really well so far. Is there going to be a better opportunity elsewhere? The consensus was I need to get that experience first and I need to play 100 or so games and prove to the rest of the league that I’m a really good goalie.
“By the time the deal is done I’m going to be 31 which, for a goalie, that’s still plenty of time to have a lot more years in the league and so my plan is to again continue to get that experience under my belt, learn as much as I can and grow and if things go really well, then maybe go spread my wings and try to fly. If not, I’d be really happy playing here the rest of my career, too.”