Pro Tips with Devin Cooley
- Devin Cooley uses his head to seal the top short-side corner in reverse-VH, a technique he has deliberately developed over two full seasons.
- The head-seal in reverse-VH works by using height to eliminate the shooting angle entirely — 'there's nothing to shoot at,' according to Cooley.
- Cooley demonstrated the save live against Connor Bedard, who attempted a dead-angle bank shot off the side of his mask from below the goal line.
- Goalies attempting this technique must develop strong trust in their mask's protective capability before committing to it in game situations.
- At 6-foot-5, Cooley notes that his height is a meaningful advantage when applying the head-seal save selection in reverse-VH.
It’s been a memorable couple months for Devin Cooley since being acquired by his hometown San Jose Sharks at the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8.
Since then, he’s made his NHL debut, won his first NHL game in front of family and friends for the team they all grew up cheering, and made 49 saves in a 3-1 win against Seattle and his one-time USHL playing partner and long-time mentor and friend, Joey Daccord.
Cooley made a lot of memories — and headlines with some notable mindset quotes – along the way, and he walked us through them all in an equally memorable appearance on the InGoal Radio Podcast. The energetic 26-year-old was also gracious enough to sit down for an extended video review session for Pro Reads, but before we shared some of the saves we had clipped, Cooley had one ready that he wanted to review. It involved using his head to react into shots headed for the top short-side corner when you’re in reverse-VH.
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