The Utah Hockey Club announced Friday that center Logan Cooley will be out “indefinitely” with a lower-body injury.
He will be reevaluated after the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Ahead of Utah HC’s game against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 16, Cooley sat out of line rushes at morning skate in case a lower-body injury prevented him from playing. He spoke to the media after morning skate, with bandages covering the upper portion of his leg.
He ended up playing that night.
Head coach André Tourigny told the media Friday morning that Cooley got hurt in Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He rejected the notion that it could have been a nagging injury, but did say Cooley had been “a little bit sore.”
Alexander Kerfoot took Cooley’s place on Utah’s top line at morning skate on Friday. Barrett Hayton took Cooley’s spot on the top power play unit.
Kerfoot will now have played on all four lines for Utah this season.
Tourigny also mentioned that Dylan Guenther, who suffered an injury on Jan. 16 against the Panthers, is now considered day-to-day. He has participated in every practice and morning skate since Wednesday, but has sported a yellow non-contact jersey every time.
Cooley, 20, is in his second NHL season. He has never missed a game, meaning Friday’s contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets will be his first time sitting out.
In 50 games this season, Cooley has scored 15 goals and 43 points. He’s second in team scoring, trailing team captain Clayton Keller by 11 points.