Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky's record against Utah Hockey Club

While Logan Cooley grew up in Pittsburgh and got his hockey start in the Penguins apprenticeship program, his loyalties lay elsewhere.

As a child, the Utah Hockey Club forward chose the Washington Capitals, one of the Penguins NHL rivals, as his favorite team and Alex Ovechkin as his favorite player.

I don't actually know how it started. I just loved the way they played, they were a super skilled team. I was just kind of drawn to it [Ovechkin] and the way he scored goals and the way he celebrated goals, Cooley said. I just enjoyed watching him and watching the Caps. I would use them in any way possible after training.

On Monday, Cooley and Utah welcomed Ovechkin and the Capitals to Salt Lake City, giving Utah HC and its fans an up-close look at the greatness of hockey.

Ovechkin is currently chasing Wayne Gretzky's overall goals record of 894, which has stood for nearly three decades. Entering Monday's game at Delta Center, Ovechkin had 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists), giving him 866 goals in 1,443 cumulative career games. The Capitals had won three of their last four games, including Sunday's 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in which Ovechkin had a hat trick.

Cooley said facing off against his childhood idol never gets old.

Last year, my first time, you were a little impressed just seeing him on the ice during warmups, Cooley said. It feels strange when you're on the same ice as him. You see him on TV advocating for him, but now you're trying to shut him up and not let him score this time.

Cooley joined Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby's Little Penguins program in 2008 when he was four. He then played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 14U, 15U and 16U AAA teams before entering the United States National Team Development Program.

Nevertheless, Cooley maintained his Capitals fandom. The second-year NHLer said his mother would sometimes come to his side to support Washington when he was younger, but Cooley's entire family is generally Penguins fans.

When [the Capitals] If I came to Pittsburgh, I would always try to go to that game. “I went to the game in an Ovechkin jersey, which the fans didn't like very much,” Cooley said.

Utah head coach Andr Tourginy has a serious game plan for every game, especially against a shooter like Ovechkin, but he still appreciated the excitement Cooley had for Monday night.

I'm 50 years old and I'm still a fan. “I get excited when we play against those guys or whatever,” Tourigny said. I think that's the great thing about hockey: you have to have passion to play the game. It's not a job, it's a passion, it's a way of life. You have to go all the way for it. It's great to see situations like that.

Just as Cooley is getting used to sharing the ice with his childhood idol, his confidence and comfort at the NHL level has increased in his second season. Centering the second line between Matias Maccelli and Dylan Guenther, Cooley has picked up the pace of play and registered 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in Monday's game.

Cooley is used on the second power play unit, occasionally participates on the penalty kill and has focused on being responsible in all three zones, including at the faceoff point. His faceoff percentage so far this season is 47.6%, up from 38% last year.

Faceoffs coming right out of college, it's something I haven't paid too much attention to, Cooley said.

Now that you're in the league, you understand it a little more. You try to dial those in because they're super important. Goals happen all the time during faceoffs, so you try to win as much as possible and take care of both sides of the ice.

Tourigny pointed to Cooley's improvement at the point, as well as his growth as a professional.

Cooley is a super competitive guy and he always wants more, Tourigny said. He grows as a person. He is more mature, he sees what is happening, he is not fooled by production or the number of scoring opportunities. He is increasingly able to look at the big picture.

Utah's meeting with the Capitals marked Cooley's 100th NHL game. The team played against Washington twice last season and won both times; 6-0 on December 4, 2023 and 5-2 on March 3. Cooley scored a goal in every match.

Can he score again against his childhood idol?

“I hope so,” Cooley said.