Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley has found a new routine: play well, sit for a live postgame interview, and turn a typically cliché-filled exchange into a reflection on sports psychology. The habit has drawn wide attention across the sports world.
On Oct. 18, Cooley said he enjoys playing, but that too much fun can shift him "from an unconscious goalie to a conscious goalie, and my conscious brain is really bad at playing goalie." A week later he said he felt "completely in control of my mind," and described going home to read with his rabbit without thinking about much. The NHL named him its second star of the week ending Oct. 25.
Cooley keeps a pet rabbit named Tito and studies linear algebra in his spare time. He first went viral two years ago as an undrafted backup with the San Jose Sharks, when he told reporters, "Nothing's really gonna matter. We're all gonna die."
Dr. Michael Gervais, a high-performance psychologist who hosts the "Finding Mastery" podcast and has worked with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, said he is captivated by Cooley. He explained that the conscious mind is excellent for learning and making adjustments, but poor for performing. "If you're consciously thinking about where your glove should be, you're absolutely already late," he said. According to Gervais, the athletes he works with spend about 20% of their time in a flow state, while Cooley seems to remain there far longer.
Mike Condon, a former NHL goalie who played 129 games and is now a mental performance coach, said his own approach was very different. "You don't need to be confident in order to play well," he said, adding that courage, meaning facing fear and playing anyway, carried him. He said Cooley is offering another roadmap beyond simply thinking positively.
People who know Cooley are not surprised. Brad Ralph, his first pro coach with the ECHL's Florida Everblades in 2020-21, recalled a curious player who once was typing complex coding on his laptop on the team bus. "You could tell he's a smart guy," Ralph said.
The results back it up. The Los Gatos, California, native signed with the Flames as an unheralded free agent two years ago and has moved from projected AHL starter to essentially sharing duties with Dustin Wolf. Last season he posted a 0.909 save percentage, earning an invitation to the 2026 IIHF World Championship. This season he has made four straight starts for Calgary, with a 1.50 goals-against average and 0.955 save percentage.
Goalie coach Jason LaBarbera said Cooley "was basically playing off feel" when signed, and described him as a big player who can move, react, recover and stay patient. Teammates enjoy the attention too. Defenseman Joel Hanley has had deep philosophical talks with him over dinner, while veteran Ryan Strome said Cooley brings joy to the group and loves to work, win and compete.
Condon sometimes shows Cooley's clips to the young goalies he coaches, but he joked that Cooley will not erase every stereotype about the position. "We're not weird," he said. "We just have a very, very uncomfortable environment that we have to learn to cope with."
