Logan Cooley Touted as 'Top Prospect in the World' by Coyotes in Arena Statement

Credit the Arizona Coyotes for attempting to drum up interest as they look to build a new arena.

In a statement announcing they have executed a letter of intent to purchase a parcel of land in Mesa, Arizona, the Coyotes referred to Logan Cooley as the "top prospect in the world" as a reason their fans are excited about the 2023-24 season.

While it's a shrewd piece of copywriting, it's also amusing since Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft to the Chicago Blackhawks, has been touted as one of the best prospects in the history of the sport.

The buzz around Bedard has been loud for years. He spent the past three seasons with the Regina Pats in the Canadian Hockey League. The British Columbia native finished the 2022-23 campaign with 143 points (71 goals, 72 assists) in just 57 games.

Bedard was the first player in CHL history to win the league's top prospect, top scorer and Player of the Year awards in the same season.

Cliff Mander, a Vancouver-based marketing executive for CKM Sports Management, told Andrew Benson of GlobalNews.ca in February that Bedard's value to the Western Hockey League was around $1.5 million because of the sellout crowds the Pats were drawing for road games.

Cooley's certainly not a bad prospect. He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft and signed his rookie contract on July 27 after leading the University of Minnesota in goals (22), assists (38) and points (60) as a freshman last season.

ESPN.com ranked Cooley as the second-best North American prospect in his draft class.

Adding a 19-year-old forward who has shown a knack for being an impactful scorer is good news for the Coyotes. They need some positive buzz right now as they prepare to play their second season at Mullett Arena on Arizona State's campus after the Glendale city council opted not to renew their arena lease.

The Coyotes have a lot invested in Cooley becoming a star player. They have just one playoff appearance and haven't finished higher than fourth in the division standings in the past 11 seasons.