Calgary Flames goalie Cooley has a futuristic pre-game routine
Devin Cooley is the latest example of the different and unique approaches NHL players take to get ready for games.
Cooley was outstanding for the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night, in what was his first NHL start since the 2023-24 season. The 28-year-old allowed just two goals on 31 shots in what was a 3-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth.
It was a big start for Cooley, who has had plenty of detractors since making the roster out of training camp. While his big performance stood out, another thing many fans noticed was how he was getting ready for Wednesday’s outing.
Prior to puck drop, Sportsnet showed a clip of the rookie goaltender using a VR headset to prepare for the game. In the short clip, it appeared as though he was taking warm-up shots on both his glove and blocker side.
View this post on Instagram
According to The Goalie Guild, VR training began finding its footing during the COVID-19 pandemic. They describe it as a great tool for goalies who are unable to get on the ice, whether due to injury or being away from the rink.
“You can see Devin’s breathing in the pregame hallway routine,” The Goalie Guild wrote on Instagram. “That is one area you can expect to see emerge over the next few years. Breathing should be a skill we develop like vision. You can use VR to simulate gameplay and work on breathing and regulation strategies as well.”
The clip, which aired on Sportsnet, also showed Cooley using a VR headset to simulate game action while sailing with his girlfriend in Sardinia over the summer. It goes to show the great lengths he and many other NHLers are willing to go to in their training methods.
This was created by a company named Sense Arena. They provide VR training for both goalies and players, and have had other NHL players, including Lawson Crouse, Dawson Mercer, Joey Daccord, Joel Hofer, and Karel Vejmelka, bring this type of routine into their training regimen.
“Develop critical on-ice goalie skills while minimizing impact on joints,” Sense Arena writes when explaining their method for goaltenders. “Experience the best off-ice training aid for goalies to get more shots and reps for less than $1/day.”
While rather unique, it has seemed to pay off for Cooley early into the 2025-26 season. It may be a while before we see the 6-foot-5 netminder given the Flames’ upcoming schedule, but whenever he is called upon again, fans should expect that he will continue to do everything possible to give his team everything he can to pick up a win.
- You might also like:
- When we could see Huberdeau back in the Calgary Flames lineup