Logan Cooley got the first two points of his National Hockey League career out of the way early, registering two assists as the Arizona Coyotes kicked off their 2023-24 campaign with a 4-3 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

Cooley stepped out onto the ice alone for his customary rookie lap in warmups, and didn't take long to make his presence felt. The 19-year-old assisted a Sean Durzi powerplay goal just 4:23 into the second period, and followed it up with another powerplay apple on a Nick Schmaltz goal to tie the game in the third.

“I thought I did a good job of staying focused. I just wanted to have fun,” the former No. 3 overall pick said afterwards, per the Associated Press. “I was a little nervous at the start but once you get going, it's just another hockey game.”

Cooley didn't look out of place at all, making important plays on both sides of the puck while lining up on the second line with Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot, along with the second powerplay unit.

The University of Minnesota product seems primed for a large role in his rookie campaign after seeing 19:02 of ice time in his NHL debut. Matt Dumba scored the other goal for the Coyotes, who erased a 3-2 deficit in the third period before overcoming the Devils in a shootout.

“We played an elite team. We knew what to expect,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny explained, per AP. “We had urgency. We had pace.”

Schmaltz scored the shootout winner to send Arizona back to the hotel 1-0.

“Everybody came to play. We have a lot of new guys and there was a lot of excitement in the room,” Schmaltz said. “We did a really good job and we were hard on them.”

It was certainly an encouraging win for a Coyotes team that won 24 less games than the Devils last season. Although they're expected to be a bottom-three team in the Central Division, there is belief in hockey that this team can surprise and compete for a playoff spot in 2024.

If Logan Cooley can put together a strong rookie season and a few of their free agent acquisitions pan out, it could be an exciting season in the desert.