Ex-Gophers star signs $80 million NHL contract extension

The Utah Mammoth has signed one of the best young players in the NHL to a long-term contract extension.

Oct 9, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) before the game against the against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Former Gophers hockey star Logan Cooley is off to a red-hot start in his third NHL season, and he just inked an eight-year, $80 million contract extension with the Utah Mammoth.

Utah, Logan Cooley is here to stay! 🏔️🦣 pic.twitter.com/3U1zuzjmnA

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 29, 2025

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Cooley only played one season at Minnesota. He had 60 points with 22 goals and 38 assists, as the Gophers came up one game short of a National Championship against Quinnipiac in 2023. He was selected third overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, and he has now become the face of the Utah franchise after the franchise moved.

Cooley had 65 points with 25 goals and 40 assists last season. He has already 12 points with eight goals and four assists through 11 games this season, and he's on pace for 90 points with 60 goals and 30 assists, according to eliteprospects.com.

Cooley doesn't turn 22 years old until May, but at $10 million per year, his new contract extension will put him in a tie for the 18th-most lucrative contract in the NHL. Utah is off to an 8-3 start and Cooley is tied for 23rd in the league with 12 points. The University of Minnesota is an NHL factory, and Cooley is another name on the list.