Sebastian Cossa made NHL history in his debut by becoming the first goalie to win in a shootout after entering in relief, stopping 12 of 14 shots as the Red Wings rallied to beat Buffalo 6-5 last December. The 6-foot-6 netminder has shown steady development, anchoring Grand Rapids in the AHL over the past two seasons and playing a key role in a franchise-record 19-game point streak.
A first-round pick in 2021, Cossa’s junior and early pro career have been marked by success, and he’s widely seen as Detroit’s future in goal. With his continued growth and confidence, the question is no longer if but when he’ll become a full-time NHL presence.
When do you think Cossa will make the jump to Detroit's crease full time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Tyler Hopkins is itching to walk out of the tunnel at the Bell Centre this weekend.
Hopkins will step onto the ice for his first Prospect Showdown game on Saturday afternoon, following a whirlwind of a summer after being selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round (86th overall) of this year’s NHL Draft.
“Being able to put the Leafs jersey on in a real game this time, in front of, hopefully — it sounded like a lot of guys were saying last year — a pretty lively crowd in Montreal, I’m excited to get into the games, feel the speed out a little bit,” Hopkins said on Friday, before getting on the bus to Montreal.
“Obviously, it’s going to be a lot faster than major junior, but just general excitement towards this game.”
Hopkins is projected to center a line with 2024 seventh-round pick Sam McCue and camp invite Alex Pharand. The Campbellville, Ontario, product has already gotten into some preseason action over the last couple of weeks with his OHL club, the Kingston Frontenacs, and he’s looking forward to going up against tough competition in Montreal.
“There’s quite a few guys that are some pretty good hockey players,” Hopkins said when asked who’s stood out. “Obviously, Easton Cowan, he’s one of the guys who stands out. High-end, skilled player, really smart with the puck. (Ben) Danford as well, just really strong on the puck as well, breaks the puck out really well. Another smart defender, can kind of play in all situations.
“He’s going to be valuable for us this weekend, both of them, and valuable to this organization in the future.”
Hopkins spent a lot of the summer at the Maple Leafs’ facility. He worked closely with assistant strength and conditioning coach Trevor Bartoli, and Maple Leafs assistant GM, player development, Hayley Wickenheiser, who he says was around quite often to help with any questions he might’ve had.
“They’re another level ahead of me, so I think even just being on the ice with those guys, they work their butts off, so being in that environment with them, I think it pushed me a lot,” he said.
“And obviously, they’re bigger and stronger as well, which I think was good for me. The more of that I can go against older, stronger guys, I think that’s going to help push my game to the next level.”
As Hopkins takes to the ice on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators’ prospects, it’ll be the first time he wears the Maple Leaf on his chest for a game. It’ll be a full circle moment—after idolizing the team as a child—with his parents, Glen and Christie, in the crowd, cheering for him.
“My dad wouldn’t have missed it for the world. He’s pretty excited,” Hopkins smiled.
“It’s playing against the Habs. It’s been a rivalry forever, and obviously, it’s going to be the first time he gets to see me in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey uniform, so I think that’s the general excitement for him and me.”
Cool As A Cossa - Jan. 27 2025 - Vol. 78 Issue 7 - Dillion Collins
THEY SAY YOU NEVER forget your first. For 22-year-old goaltender Sebastian Cossa, that first came in the form of a rollercoaster NHL debut in December.
The 6-foot-6 former WHL standout – who has anchored Detroit’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids the past two seasons – saw his fist NHL action in relief of Ville Husso against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 9. Cossa made 12 saves on 14 shots as the Red Wings rallied to defeat their division rivals 6-5 in a shootout.
Becoming the first goalie in NHL history to win his debut via a shootout in a relief effort, Cossa was ecstatic. “Mentally, at that level, I’m preparing like I’m playing every game just in case I have to be ready,” he said. “Buffalo had some Grade A (chances) and cashed in on a couple, and I thought I’d get ready mentally after that third one went in.”
Cossa was told during the first intermission he’d be replacing Husso to start the second period. Husso had allowed three goals on seven shots. “I was really nervous,” Cossa said. “But I was also trying to slow it down and enjoy the moment. It’s your first NHL game, and you’ll only be able to do it once.”
Combatting his nerves and excitement, Cossa got his first taste of NHL ice at the KeyBank Center and was immediately gifted with offensive support. Lucas Raymond tied the game 3-3 at 1:05 of the second frame before Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Jason Zucker scored to put Buffalo ahead 5-3 after two periods. “A little frantic I think for me in that second period,” Cossa said. “I kind of stuck around and calmed down in that second intermission and thought I had a decent third.”
Andrew Copp and Moritz Seider scored to tie the game before Raymond and Dylan Larkin tallied in the shootout to complete the Wings’ comeback. “I don’t think I could’ve written anything better,” Cossa said. “Getting that win in the shootout, we really earned it. It was a great experience and definitely one I’ll never forget.”
For Cossa, playing meaningful games has become routine. The native of Fort McMurray, Alta., was a standout at the youth level for the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers, winning a league title while earning top-goalie and MVP honors in 2016-17 before putting together a sparkling junior career in the WHL with the Edmonton Oil Kings.
In a pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, Cossa posted a remarkable 1.57 goals-against average and .941 save percentage with a 17-1-1 record en route to becoming the first WHL goalie to be selected in the first round (15th overall) since his hero, Carey Price (fifth overall in 2005).
The following year, Edmonton cruised to the league title, with Cossa going 33-9-3 in the regular season and 16-3 in the playoffs. “I’ve been lucky to have been on some competitive teams,” he said.
Following a strong rookie pro season with ECHL Toledo in 2022-23, Cossa made an immediate impact in the AHL. In the second half of 2023-24, Cossa helped Grand Rapids to a franchise-record streak of 19 games collecting a point, with the rookie backstopping the club to the division final.
Cossa and the Griffins have been firing on all cylinders this season, holding a division lead as of early January and seeing team growth on multiple fronts. “It’s fun,” Cossa said. “You know, guys are coming to work with a good attitude and ready to put the work in.”
As for the future, Cossa is earmarked as the heir apparent to Detroit’s crease. And his heritage could lead to some intriguing international play if a long-rumored rule that would allow players with Italian heritage to play on the Italian Olympic club comes to fruition for 2026. “I have my passport and my citizenship there in Italy,” Cossa said. “My dad is fully Italian. That would be really cool, wearing those colors and maybe representing them one day.”
The goaltender is arguably the most important position in hockey. It is believed that without a great goalie between the pipes, a team has little chance of winning silverware, let alone hoisting the Stanley Cup.
All netminders start somewhere. Some are excellent right out of the draft, but many goaltenders need time to develop before they make it to the big stage. Here is a list made up of goaltenders who had a great 2024-25 campaign in the AHL and have a decent chance of earning multiple games in the NHL in this upcoming season.
Jet Greaves, Cleveland Monsters
Jet Greaves had a stellar season with the Cleveland Monsters last season in the AHL. In 40 appearances, the 24-year-old recorded a .920 save percentage and a 2.62 goals against average. He showed out to be one of the best goalies in the league last year.
Even in the post-season, despite a second-round exit for the Monsters, Greaves put up solid numbers - a .912 SP and 2.67 GAA.
All signs point in the direction of Greaves taking on a big role with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL. To conclude the 2024-25 season, he played five straight games for the Blue Jackets. The Cambridge, Ont. native finished all those contests with a save percentage of .950 or higher, including two shutouts.
Leevi Merilainen, Belleville Senators
Leevi Merilainen is another goaltender who is set to become an NHL regular this season. In the off-season, the Ottawa Senatorssigned Merilainen to a one-year deal worth $1.05 million. His brief time in the NHL last season, as well as his AHL campaign with the Belleville Senators, put him on this path.
With Belleville in his second full AHL season, Merilainen recorded a .913 SP and a 2.37 GAA, along with four shutouts. In his 12 NHL appearances, the Finnish netminder registered an 8-3-1 record, earning a 1.99 GAA and .925 SP.
Now, with former Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg with the Los Angeles Kings, Merilainen has a wide-open opportunity to become Ottawa’s full-time backup.
Matthew Murray, Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals’ goaltender Matthew Murray is coming off his third full season in the AHL. He had a great campaign, recording a 2.07 GAA and a league-leading .932 SP. His performances last season should be enough to draw the attention of the Nashville Predators in his first year with the organization.
Murray, 27, has spent the previous three years in the Dallas Stars’ system before the Predators signed him to a two-year, $1.55-million contract ahead of last season. He played four total NHL games with the Stars, but hasn’t featured in The Show since his 23-save shutout against the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 8, 2024.
Justus Annunen is Nashville’s current backup goalie. He is the measuring stick for Murray, and his biggest competition if he wants to make the Preds’ lineup.
Carl Lindbom, Henderson Silver Knights
Carl Lindbom is the only netminder on this list who hasn’t featured in the NHL. Lindbom was a rookie in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights. The 22-year-old played 36 games, putting up a .912 SP and a 2.65 GAA.
The Vegas Golden Knights drafted the Stockholm native in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. Since then, he’s spent multiple years in his home country, playing in the Swedish League. Before last season’s campaign with the Silver Knights, Lindbom played 26 games for Farjestad, recording a 2.12 GAA and .911 SP with two shutouts along the way.
It’ll be challenging for Lindbom to sneak his way onto the Golden Knights’ roster after just one season in North America. However, Akira Schmid, who is projected to be Vegas’ backup goalie next season, also featured in the AHL last year. Schmid played 30 games, registering a .886 SP and 3.58 GAA, making Lindbom’s numbers look even better.
This is what teams fear when their players lace it up for their home country.
Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly has undergone surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, which he suffered while playing for France at EuroBasket. Recovery from the surgery will likely have Coulibaly out for the start of the regular season.
Wizards guard/forward Bilal Coulibaly underwent a surgical procedure today in New York City to repair a ligament tear to his right thumb. The injury was sustained during FIBA Eurobasket play with the French National Team.
Coulibaly isn't the only Wizard who was injured playing for France at EuroBasket, center Alex Sarr also had to leave the tournament after injuring his calf. France, the silver medal winners just a couple of years ago at the Paris Olympics, was eliminated from EuroBasket after an upset loss to Georgia in the round of 16.
Coulibaly is part of a young core with potential in Washington, and last season he averaged 12.3 points and five rebounds a game. While he brings some defense and playmaking to the table, Coulibaly needs to be a more efficient shooter to really make a mark — he shot just 28.1% from 3 for the Wizards last season, and that didn't appear to improve over the summer as he was 3-of-14 from beyond the arc at EuroBasket.
Missing training camp and the start of the season is not ideal for a developing young player, but once healthy and able to return to the court Coulibaly will get plenty of run and opportunity as the Wizards try to grow their young core.
Jonas Vingegaard adds four seconds to overall lead
Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen sprinted clear at the end of stage 19 to seal his third win at this year’s Vuelta a España on Friday while Jonas Vingegaard added four seconds to his overall advantage over Joño Almeida.
After 160km of relatively flat riding in west central Spain, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Philipsen burst to the front near the finish and never looked like being caught. Denmark’s Mads Pedersen was the first to make his move but could not hold off Philipsen and he crossed the line in second place with Venezuela’s Orluis Aular third.
PITTSBURGH — Marc-Andre Fleury is ending his NHL career back where it began.
The veteran goaltender, who officially retired last spring following a 21-year career, signed a professional tryout contract with the Penguins on Friday and is going to suit up for the club during Pittsburgh’s exhibition game against Columbus on Sept. 27.
The 40-year-old Fleury was taken No. 1 overall by the Penguins in the 2003 NHL draft. He spent the first 13 seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, helping longtime teammates Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang win three Stanley Cups. Fleury left the Penguins after being selected by Vegas during the expansion draft shortly after Pittsburgh won the second of back-to-back championships in 2017.
“Marc means so much to our team, our fans and the City of Pittsburgh because of the person he is and the example he set,” Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “The Penguins feel he and his family are most deserving of this opportunity to celebrate this full-circle moment back where it all started in front of the black and gold faithful.”
Fleury, known universally as “Flower,” was incredibly popular with both teammates and fans alike. He ranks second all-time in NHL history in victories (575) and won the Vezina Trophy in 2021 while playing for Vegas.
Yet he is most well-known for his long tenure in Pittsburgh. Fleury holds nearly every major goaltending record in Penguins history, including games played (691), wins (375) and shutouts (44).
England pulverised South Africa at Old Trafford, with Phil Salt walloping 141 not out in a record score of 304 for two
5th over: England 88-0 (Salt 32, Buttler 54) Rabada returns to the attack and is monstered down the ground for six by Buttler. Three successive fours take Buttler to a quite exhilarating 50 from 18 balls. He waves his bat to the ground, then snaps his head back to salute his late father.
The second of those three fours tempted mid-on, who dived in an attempt to take a low catch but was beaten by the dip on the ball.
Dublin would continue hosting an annual college football game through 2037 under a plan awaiting formal approval in the Irish capital, according to a report.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' top prospects are set to face off against the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators in a pair of rookie games this weekend. Following the team’s second day of on-ice preparation, we have a clearer sense of what the lines will look like, as reported by our own Nick Barden.
On the defensive end, the top pairing will feature Ben Danford skating alongside Noah Chadwick. The rookie tournament is a crucial opportunity for these young players to make a strong impression and earn a spot at the main training camp, which begins next week. The competition will be fierce, with players like Danford and Chadwick looking to prove they can play at the next level.
The Maple Leafs also focused on special teams during Friday's practice. Forward Miroslav Holinka and defenseman John Prokop joined the top unit, showcasing the team's depth. Toronto signed the 19-year-old Holinka to a three-year entry-level contract after his strong performance at development camp this summer. The 23-year-old Prokop was also signed in March to a one-year deal following his season with Union College in the NCAA and even played three games with the Marlies last season.
Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and the rest of the Dodgers lineup increased their production this week. But, Betts admits, "for a little while, we were having just some bad at-bats." (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
To Andrew Friedman, something like this was a virtual impossibility.
“If you had said that we would have a six-week stretch where our offense would rank 30th in baseball, I would have said there was a zero percent chance,” the Dodgers president of baseball operations said last month.
“I would have been wrong,” he quickly added.
Over a five-week stretch from July 4 to Aug. 4, the Dodgers inexplicably ranked 30th (out of 30 clubs) in scoring. And though they’ve been slightly better in the five weeks since, questions about their supposed juggernaut lineup still abound.
In the first half of the season, the Dodgers boasted the best offense in the majors, leading the majors in scoring (5.61 runs per game), batting average (.262), OPS (.796) and hitting with runners in scoring position (.300) and went 56-32 over their first 88 games.
Since then, however, everything has flipped.
It started with a July slump that was as stunning as it was unforeseen, with the Dodgers averaging just 3.36 runs in a 25-game stretch commencing with Independence Day. Since then, there have been only marginal improvements, with the Dodgers entering Friday ranked 24th in scoring (4.21 runs per game), 25th in batting average (.237), 18th in OPS (.718) and 22nd in hitting with runners in scoring position (.245) over their last 58 games — a stretch in which they've gone 26-32.
“Not scoring runs,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said last week, “it's just not who we are.”
On the surface, the root causes seemed rather obvious. Much of their lineup was either on the injured list or scuffling in the wake of previous, nagging injuries. Healthy superstars were grinding through flaws with their swings. What little depth they had failed to compensate.
To that end, the team is hopeful it has turned the page.
Shohei Ohtani, after a midseason lull, is back to his MVP-caliber norms. Mookie Betts is back to looking like himself at the end of an otherwise career-worst season. Max Muncy and Tommy Edman have returned from injuries, providing the batting order with much-needed length. Significant playing time is no longer going to the likes of Buddy Kennedy, Alex Freeland, Estuery Ruiz or any of the other anonymous faces that populated the clubhouse during the campaign’s darkest days.
“Our lineup, our team, looks more whole,” manager Dave Roberts said this week. "I think that we've all been waiting for our guys to come back to health, and see what we look like as the ballclub that we had all envisioned.”
Still, when asked whether the Dodgers’ second-half slump could just be pinned on personnel issues, Roberts and his players said it wasn’t that simple.
The Dodgers might not have been whole. But they weren’t doing fundamental things — like stressing opposing pitchers, driving up pitch counts, or executing in leverage situations — either.
“We'd lost sight of playing the game the way we're capable of playing,” Roberts acknowledged.
“For a little while,” Betts added, “we were having just some bad at-bats.”
This is the dynamic the Dodgers have honed in on fixing, hoping to turn their summer-long frustrations into a valuable learning experience as October nears.
In recent days, a renewed and deliberate emphasis has been placed on the importance of competitiveness at the plate. Daily hitters’ meetings have included film sessions reviewing situational at-bats from the previous night. In-game dugout conversations have centered on a more basic message.
“It’s more about your approach, your plan,” Freeman said. “That’s been the focus.”
This week, the team took what it hopes are important first steps, ambushing the Rockies with seven- and nine-run performances in which they advanced baserunners, capitalized on scoring opportunities and built the kind of big innings that been missing over the two months beforehand.
“We said a few games ago, ‘This needs to be like how we focus for the playoffs,’” Freeman said. “Focus on the little things that help win games.”
The Dodgers, of course, have seen what a broken offense looks like before.
And they know what happens when it doesn’t get rectified before the playoffs.
Late in 2022, as co-hitting coach Aaron Bates recalled this week, the team slipped into bad habits while nursing a massive National League West lead: “It felt like that whole month of September was swing camp, or spring training,” he said, “in the sense of guys working on their swings individually too much, as opposed to playing the game in front of them.”
The results then were costly: A four-game NL Division Series elimination to the San Diego Padres in which the Dodgers repeatedly failed with runners in scoring position.
The next year was more of the same: The team losing its identity while coasting down the stretch, before being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in three listless games.
Last season, the Dodgers finally avoided such pitfalls. They batted .278 with runners in scoring position during their postseason run to the World Series. Their tying and go-ahead runs in the Fall Classic clincher came on a pair of productive at-bats in the form of sacrifice flies.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani has showed his MVP form in recent games, homering twice in Sunday's win against the Baltimore Orioles. (Eric Thayer / For The Times)
But this summer, after a first-half outburst that met every lofty expectation of their $400-million roster, more troubling patterns began to resurface again.
Betts’ slow start devolved into a career-worst slump, bottoming out with a .205 average during July. Freeman began to fade right alongside him, with his .374 season average at the end of May plummeting to .292 less than two months later. Edman and Teoscar Hernández struggled after returning from first-half injuries. Michael Conforto never found his footing while Andy Pages endured an extended sophomore slide.
When coupled with Muncy’s prolonged absence — he missed 48 of 56 games because of a knee injury and oblique strain — the Dodgers suddenly had a lineup of players either grinding to rediscover their swing, or struggling to make up for the firepower they were missing.
And as easy scoring dried up, their inability to work consistent “team at-bats” quickly became magnified.
“It happened incrementally, every day, little by little,” Bates said. “Where it’s like, you’re a little off, you want to see what’s wrong with your swing, and you don’t realize that it snowballs. Before you know it, you’re thinking so much about your swing, you’re off of the situations out there.”
It was a problem, Bates insisted, borne of good intentions. Most of the roster was battling swing flaws. Too much daily energy was spent on players trying to individually get their mechanics right.
It led to mindless swings that were wasted on bad pitches. It caused scoring opportunities to carelessly, and repeatedly, go frustratingly by the wayside.
“Guys just got so internal with their mechanics,” Bates said, “they weren’t able to shift their focus once the game starts to just competing in the box.”
Bates started sensing the trend while watching the team from afar, gaining a different perspective during a two-week medical absence in early August to address blood clots in his leg.
In the clubhouse, players began voicing similar observations after particularly puzzling offensive performances in recent weeks.
“I feel like a lot of swings that we took today weren't really good swings to get on base,” veteran infielder Miguel Rojas said after the Dodgers managed only one hit in six innings against Padres left-hander Nestor Cortes on Aug. 23. “We know we're more than capable of putting up better at-bats and more hits together to create some traffic.”
“We individually are trying to find ways on our own to make sure that we’re just hitting better than we are,” Ohtani echoed, through an interpreter, after the Dodgers’ one-run performance in a series opener in Baltimore last weekend. “But I think the side effect of that is, we’re a little too eager, and putting too much pressure on ourselves.”
Thus, this week, the team endeavored to make changes.
In their daily pregame hitters’ meetings, the club has started holding what fellow co-hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc described to SportsNet LA as “NFL-style” film sessions; in which players were asked to review situational at-bats from the night before, and analyze their ability to execute their plan of attack.
“The game rewards you for having those ‘team at-bats,’ ” Bates said. “So you just preach to them by holding each other accountable, talking about them after the fact, not shying away from it.”
Freeman added that, in the dugout, players have also made an effort to emphasize that message among themselves.
“Don’t get upset because your swing didn’t feel good,” he said. “Like, if you go 0-for-four but move a runner over four times, that’s a great game for us. It might not be for your stats. But you gotta throw that out the window. That’s what we’ve been trying to clean up.”
The hope is that this renewed focus will naturally help hitters sync up their swings.
On Monday night, for example, Betts moved a runner to third base with a fly ball in the sixth inning, before coming back to the plate and roping a tie-breaking two-run single with two outs in the eighth.
“He said it in the hitter’s meeting [the next day],” Freeman relayed, “how that little positive thing of moving [a runner] over helped him build confidence going into his next at-bat.”
Little moments like that, the Dodgers hope, will help kick-start their offense as they come up on the playoffs. They might not have been able to envision the struggles of the last two months. But now, between better health and improving at-bat quality, they finally see a way to fix their ailing offense.
“Now, we're at least having good at-bats, getting a walk, extending innings, finding ways to manufacture runs,” Betts said.
“I do think that presently, the guys are engaged,” Roberts added. “Guys are playing as one right now."
The New York Rangers have signed defenseman Andrej Sustr to a professional tryout contract.
Sustr hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2021-22 season, as he has spent the last three years playing in Europe in various leagues.
Through his eight seasons in the NHL, Sustr played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Anaheim Ducks.
In 361-career NHL games, the 34-year-old defenseman has recorded 11 goals, 58 assists, and 69 points.
Sustr joins forward Conor Sheary as the two players to be signed to a PTO by the Rangers. Both players will compete at training camp to make the Blueshirts’ opening-night roster.
Looking Back at Sebastian Cossa's Shootout Win in His Historic NHL DebutThe Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.
