SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - NOVEMBER 12: Logan Cooley #92 of the Utah Mammoth skates with the puck during the first period of a game against the Buffalo Sabres at Delta Center on November 12, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Eli Rehmer/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by Eli Rehmer/NHLI via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Roughly seven weeks after sustaining a lower body injury against the Vancouver Canucks, Utah Mammoth forward Logan Cooley officially returned to the ice in a non-contact blue sweater in Tampa Bay.
Cooley is back on the ice in a blue sweater in Tampa. https://t.co/qHbwBSjWsI
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 26, 2026
After awkwardly colliding with the goal post in an attempt to score against the Canucks on December 5, the Utah Mammoth reported that Logan Cooley would miss a minimum of eight weeks with a lower body injury.
Logan Cooley will not play tonight due to a lower-body injury.
Last night he hit his leg hard against the post, but stayed in the game. pic.twitter.com/ezDX9KLDrb
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) December 7, 2025
Now approaching week eight, Cooley is progressing towards a return as he finally stepped onto the ice with his teammates during morning skate on Monday.
Despite skating in Tampa, there is still no specific timeline for when Cooley could return to play.
However, stepping on the ice in a non-contact sweater is a notable positive as it generally signals the first significant step towards playing.
Additionally, in a recent interview with KSL Sports, General Manager Bill Armstrong broadened Cooley’s potential window for return to before or after the Olympics.
“He’s doing great,” Armstrong explained. “He attacks it every single day, he’s in there working and making strides with it. He’s going to have a chance to come back here either before or after the Olympics. We’ll see how far he progresses, but he’s made huge strides.”
“I think there’s a point coming up that he’ll probably get back on the ice.”
With just nine days before the Olympic break, Cooley will have five more opportunities to potentially play before the NHL season pauses.
The Utah Mammoth will continue their four-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night at 5 p.m. MT.
The game will be available on Mammoth+.
All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM).