Some records are records; others make you stop and take a second look. When you find yourself ahead of Alex Ovechkin on a goal-scoring list, even if it’s a very specific one, you’ve probably done something worth talking about.

That’s where Logan Cooley finds himself after Thursday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Utah Mammoth forward scored three times, bringing his career hat-trick total to five in just 228 NHL games. That makes him the fastest active NHL player to reach that mark, beating Ovechkin’s pace by two games.

Now, let’s put that in perspective. Ovechkin has made a career out of scoring goals. He’s one of the greatest goal scorers the game has ever seen. So when a 22-year-old starts showing up ahead of him in any scoring conversation, hockey fans should probably pay attention.

Cooley Is Becoming More Than a Promising Young Player

What caught my attention wasn’t just the record. It was the fact that this was Cooley’s second hat trick in four games. He also scored three times against Pittsburgh last week, and added an assist against Montreal for a four-point night.

Unfortunately, the Mammoth couldn’t turn his performance into a win. Montreal came back from an early deficit and eventually won 5-4 in overtime. That’s a tough way to finish a night when one of your players has scored three times. Still, something here deserves a closer look.

Cooley had his first hat trick during his rookie season in 2023-24, when the franchise was still playing in Arizona. He went without one in his second season, then produced two last year. Now he’s already added two more early in 2026-27.

He’s not just collecting the occasional memorable night. He’s becoming a player who can take over a game offensively.

The Interesting Part Might Be What’s Coming Next for Cooley

Cooley now has 11 goals and 21 points in 17 games. He’s tied with Auston Matthews for fifth in NHL goals and sits just one point behind Clayton Keller for Utah’s team scoring lead. Those are pretty good numbers for a player who is still only 22.

Here’s what I find interesting. Young players sometimes arrive with plenty of skill, but learning when to use it, where to go, and how to find the net consistently takes time. Cooley appears to be putting those pieces together. And perhaps that’s the bigger story for Utah.

The Mammoth don’t need Cooley to be the next Ovechkin. That’s an awfully high bar for anybody. They need him to become the kind of player opposing teams have to worry about every night.

Five hat tricks in 228 games is a pretty good start. If this is what Cooley is becoming, Utah might have something even more exciting than a record on its hands.

Related: Cole Caufield’s Latest Record Says Something Key About His Game