Things are not going well for the Calgary Flames so far this season.
The Flames are at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 6-13-3 record and 15 points. This is after they just missed out on the playoffs last season, finishing the year with a 41-27-14 record and 96 points. They even had more points than the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens, which made the playoffs in the East.
A crucial part of Calgary's success last year was the play of rookie Dustin Wolf. He started the season splitting the starts with then-backup Dan Vladar, then gradually got more assignments as he played exceptionally well for a rookie netminder. He finished as a finalist in the Calder Trophy race.
Now, Wolf has had some ups and downs this season as he's taken on more responsibility, with an .892 save percentage, 3.08 goals-against average and one shutout.
But while the Flames are struggling immensely early on, another goaltender – Devin Cooley – has been a big bright spot for them.
Oh Devin Cooley. Never ever change. pic.twitter.com/nbzzkmKlcI
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 20, 2025
After spending all of last season in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers, Cooley beat out free-agent signing Ivan Prosvetov for the Flames' backup job out of training camp. And he quickly dismissed questions about whether Calgary needed a proven NHL veteran to give Wolf the type of backup support that Vladar gave.
In fact, Cooley's been excellent.
While he has a 1-2-1 record, he leads all NHL goaltenders who have played six or more games with a .935 save percentage and a 1.80 goals-against average. He also has six goals saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com.
With numbers like these, there is no question that Cooley is playing some very strong hockey right now. He is also showing no signs of slowing down as the season continues, either. In his most recent appearance against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 19, he stopped 28 out of 30 shots, which equates to a .933 save percentage.
Cooley has also shown great consistency early on, as he has had a .921 save percentage or better in five out of his six appearances this season with the Flames.
When noting that the 28-year-old Cooley had only six games of NHL experience before this season, which were all with the San Jose Sharks in 2023-24, him playing this well with the Flames is undoubtedly impressive. It will be interesting to see if the Los Gatos, California, native can continue to stay hot for the Flames, but he has been a fun story early on in 2025-26.
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