How Denver’s goaltending will shake out has been a question ever since Tanner Jaillet, one of the best netminders in program history, put on his pads for the final time last March.

That question only intensified Monday with the announcement that freshman Filip Larsson, the presumed starter for the Pioneers after a lights-out season in the USHL in 2017-18, will miss an unspecified amount of time because of a lower-body injury.

The impression I have after several informal discussions Monday is that Larsson’s injury will keep him out a period of weeks and is not season-ending. How many weeks appears to be unknown at this point.

Devin Cooley

The Pioneers now turn to sophomore Devin Cooley, who was the only one of the three goalies on the roster with any college experience. Another freshman, Michael Corson, is the other netminder on the roster.

Cooley, who was added to the Pioneers’ roster during the 2017 offseason when Packy Munson departed (and ultimately ended up at Michigan Tech), was primarily DU’s third goalie last season behind Jaillet and Dayton Rasmussen, who left the school this summer and is back in the USHL this season.

The new meal ticket in net found out about his promotion from captain Colin Staub.

“My captain took me out to lunch and he let me know the news,” Cooley said. “The first thing that went through my mind was excitement because I knew I’d worked as hard as I possibly could this summer and I was ready. You get butterflies, you get a little nervous thinking ‘Now it’s really happening.”

“But I feel as prepared as I could be. I’m feeling really confident about this.”

Cooley made three relief appearances and allowed one goal in a little more than 20 minutes of action. With Rasmussen’s exit, he knew had a chance to play more, potentially much more this season, if he held up his end of the bargain.

“It’s been really exciting. It’s been a grind for sure,” Cooley said. “I came in last year as the third string and wasn’t expected to do very much. I battled my way all last year and had a really big summer training in Massachusetts because this year it was going to be different for sure, spots were going to be open. So I just tried to prepare myself as much as possible, work hard every day.

“I’m just lucky to get this opportunity.”

The Northern California native described his freshman season as a supreme learning experience, and Jaillet was the main instructor.

“His details are unbelievable. He works hard every single day. He really has the best details and habits,” Cooley marveled. “Just to watch his work ethic and watch his focus that he brought to the rink every day was huge for me.

“Then just watching his style. Me being a tall guy, 6-4, 6-5, who likes to move a lot, compared to Tanner, who’s shorter at 5-10, 5-11, and is probably one of the smartest goalies I’ve ever seen play as far as minimizing movements and reading the play before it happens. His style was exactly what I was trying to replicate, be patient and read plays before they happen. He was a goalie genius.”

Cooley will step in for one of the top goalie recruits in the nation. Larsson, a sixth-round pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2016 Entry Draft, was selected the USHL Goaltender of the Year and a first-team All-USHL pick after recording league bests in goals-against average (1.65) and save percentage (.941) for the Tri-City Storm. In addition, he helped Sweden win a silver medal at the 2018 World Junior Championship.

His turn will come, but for now the young man who switched to jersey No. 1 in the offseason will assume the No. 1 role in the Pioneers’ net.

©First Line Editorial 2017-18