Recent from talks
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Sebastian Cossa
View on Wikipedia
Sebastian Cossa (born November 21, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 15th overall by the Red Wings in the 2021 NHL entry draft.
Key Information
Playing career
[edit]Cossa was drafted in the 2017 WHL bantam draft in the second round, thirty-sixth overall, by the Edmonton Oil Kings. As a rookie during the 2019–20 season, he posted a 21–6–3 record, with a .921 save percentage in 33 starts to finish tied for third-best in the WHL before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2019, he posted a 6–1–1–0 record, with a 1.98 goals against average (GAA), and stopped 222 of 238 shots for a 933 save percentage, and was named the WHL Goaltender of the Month.[1]
During the 2020–21 season, he posted a 17–1–1 record. He led the WHL in goals against average (1.57), save percentage (.941) and shutouts (4). By winning his first 12 starts of the year, he set a franchise record for consecutive wins in a single season by a goaltender.[2] In April 2021, he posted a 6–0–0–1 record, with a 1.61 GAA, .936 save percentage and two shutouts, and was named WHL Goaltender of the Month.[3] He was a finalist for the WHL Goaltender of the Year award, and led the Oil Kings to the best record in the league.[4]

On July 23, 2021, Cossa was drafted 15th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2021 NHL entry draft.[5] On August 14, the Red Wings signed Cossa to a three-year, entry-level contract.[6] Cossa was named the WHL Goaltender of the Month for the month of October 2021. He posted a 6–2–1–1 record in 10 games, with a 1.58 GAA, a league-best .943 save percentage, and one shutout.[7]

Cossa made his professional debut for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL on October 19, 2022. He made 21 saves and earned the win in a 3–2 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals. He was reassigned to the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL the next day.[8] On January 21, 2023, Cossa earned his first professional shutout in a 5–0 victory against the Iowa Heartlanders.[9] Along with John Lethemon, Cossa helped lead the Walleye all the way to conference semifinals where they eventually lost to the league's top-seeded Idaho Steelheads 4 games to 1.[10]
During the 2023–24 season, in his first full season in the AHL, he posted a 22–9–9 record with a 2.41 GAA, .913 save percentage and two shutouts in 40 regular season games. During the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs he appeared in nine playoff games, and posted a 5–4 record, with a 2.72 GAA and .900 save percentage, as he helped the Griffins reach the Central Division Finals.[11][12]
On December 2, 2024, Cossa was recalled by the Red Wings under emergency conditions, after placing Alex Lyon on the injured reserve retroactive to November 27, and Cam Talbot suffering a lower-body injury on December 1, in a game against the Vancouver Canucks. He began the 2024–25 season with the Griffins, where he appeared in 14 games and posted a 9–4–1 record, with a 2.21 GAA and .925 save percentage.[13][14] Cossa subsequently made his NHL debut on December 9, entering in relief of Ville Husso after the first period.[15] He stopped 12 of 14 shots faced en route to a 6–5 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres, becoming the 11th goalie in Red Wings history to earn a win in their NHL debut.[16]
International play
[edit]| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| 2022 Canada | ||
On December 1, 2021, Cossa was named to the final roster for Canada at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[17] Serving as backup goaltender to Dylan Garand, he won gold with Team Canada.[18]
Personal life
[edit]Cossa was born in Hamilton, Ontario to Gianni and Sandra Cossa and raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta.[19] Cossa and his family are survivors of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire.[20]
Career statistics
[edit]Regular season and playoffs
[edit]| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2019–20 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 33 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 1,880 | 70 | 4 | 2.23 | .921 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 19 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1,144 | 30 | 4 | 1.57 | .941 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 46 | 33 | 9 | 3 | 2,631 | 100 | 6 | 2.28 | .913 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 1,150 | 37 | 5 | 1.93 | .919 | ||
| 2022–23 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 140 | 13 | 0 | 5.57 | .783 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Toledo Walleye | ECHL | 46 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 2,667 | 114 | 4 | 2.56 | .913 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 389 | 15 | 0 | 2.32 | .917 | ||
| 2023–24 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 40 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 2,389 | 96 | 2 | 2.41 | .913 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 551 | 25 | 0 | 2.72 | .900 | ||
| 2024–25 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 41 | 21 | 15 | 5 | 2,425 | 99 | 1 | 2.45 | .911 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 120 | 9 | 0 | 4.51 | .868 | ||
| 2024–25 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 2.67 | .857 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 2.67 | .857 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
[edit]| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | W | L | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Canada White | U17 | 6th | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 | .895 | |
| 2022 | Canada | WJC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 2 | 0 | 2.00 | .917 | ||
| Junior totals | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 180 | 8 | 0 | 2.66 | .906 | ||||
Awards and achievements
[edit]| Award | Year | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHL | |||
| Ed Chynoweth Cup | 2022 | [21] | |
References
[edit]- ^ "Oil Kings' Cossa named WHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Month". whl.ca. January 2, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Oil Kings announce team awards led by Sebastian Cossa as MVP". oilkings.ca. May 14, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Oil Kings goaltender Cossa named WHL Goaltender of the Month". whl.ca. May 3, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Prospect of Interest: Sebastian Cossa could be 'a franchise-type goalie'". sportsnet.ca. July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ St. James, Helene (July 23, 2021). "Detroit Red Wings trade up for goalie Sebastian Cossa at No. 15 in NHL draft's first round". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ Kujawa, Kyle (August 14, 2021). "Red Wings sign goaltender Sebastian Cossa to entry-level contract". NHL.com. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ "Red Wings prospect Cossa named WHL Goaltender of the Month". whl.ca. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "Three Players Reassigned to Toledo". griffinshockey.com. October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ "Cossa lands first professional shutout in 5-0 victory over Iowa". toledowalleye.com. January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ Streitel, Andrew. "2022-23 Player in Review: Sebastian Cossa". griffinshockey.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Khan, Ansar (December 2, 2024). "Sebastian Cossa eager to soak up stint with Red Wings". MLive.com. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ Mills, Jonathan (December 2, 2024). "For Cossa, earning first NHL recall to Red Wings 'a dream come true'". NHL.com. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ Roth, Thomas (December 2, 2024). "Red wings recall Sebastian Cossa from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions". NHL.com. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ Kulfan, Ted (December 2, 2024). "Red Wings recall goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa: 'Dream come true'". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ St. James, Helene (December 9, 2024). "Detroit Red Wings fight back from 2-goal deficit to give Sebastian Cossa win in NHL debut". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ Engel, Heather (December 9, 2024). "Red Wings rally, edge Sabres in shootout to end 5-game skid". NHL.com. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Hockey Canada invites 15 WHL players to National Junior Team Selection Camp". whl.ca. December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ Sandor, Steven (August 20, 2022). "Canada defeats Finland in OT thriller for gold at world juniors in Edmonton". CBC Sports. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ Kujawa, Kyle (July 23, 2021). "Detroit selects goalie Sebastian Cossa with 15th pick at 2021 NHL Draft". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ "Cossa recounts experiences through fires, flooding and COVID-19 in hometown Fort McMurray". oilkings.ca. July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Oil Kings capture Ed Chynoweth Cup with shutout victory in Game 6 of 2022 WHL Championship". whl.ca. June 14, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
Sebastian Cossa
View on GrokipediaEarly life and background
Upbringing in Fort McMurray
Sebastian Cossa was born on November 21, 2002, in Hamilton, Ontario, to parents Gianni and Sandra Cossa.[3] The family relocated to Fort McMurray, Alberta, when Cossa was young, drawn by opportunities in the region's oil sands industry where his father worked.[8] There, Cossa grew up alongside his older brother Nicholas in a tight-knit community centered around resource extraction and outdoor activities.[9] In May 2016, at the age of 13, Cossa and his family faced a profound crisis during the Fort McMurray wildfire, the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history with damages estimated at C$9.9 billion.[9] On May 3, as flames advanced toward the city, the Cossas evacuated south along Highway 63, packing essentials like clothing and hockey gear before fleeing amid heavy smoke and uncertainty; the highway north was blocked by the fire's spread.[10] They initially sought refuge in Edmonton for two weeks, then traveled to Calgary to stay with relatives, part of the largest wildfire evacuation in Canadian history that displaced nearly 90,000 people.[11] Fortunately, their home was spared from destruction, unlike thousands of others in the community.[10] The ordeal left a lasting emotional mark on the young Cossa, who later described the evacuation as "pretty scary" due to the fear of losing everything and the disorientation of displacement.[10] Upon returning to Fort McMurray after about three months, the family witnessed widespread devastation, including burned neighborhoods and disrupted daily life, which underscored the vulnerability of their northern home.[8] This experience as wildfire survivors shaped Cossa's resilience during his formative years, though the family remained in Fort McMurray until his later involvement in organized hockey prompted a shift southward.[11]Introduction to hockey
There, he discovered his passion for ice hockey, starting to skate at an early age and transitioning to goaltender around 7 or 8 years old during atom-level play, inspired by watching videos of Carey Price.[8] He progressed through local house league and minor hockey programs with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, honing his skills in a community where hockey was a primary pastime amid limited other options.[8][12] In May 2016, the Fort McMurray wildfire forced Cossa's family to evacuate, briefly displacing them to Calgary for three months before they returned home; this event served as a catalyst for his family's increased involvement in his development, leading to opportunities closer to Edmonton.[8] At age 13, Cossa began billeting in Fort Saskatchewan to join the Rangers' AAA program, marking his entry into higher-level competition.[8] In the 2016-17 season with the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers U15 AAA team in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (AMBHL), he posted a 1.80 goals-against average (GAA) and .934 save percentage over 19 games, helping the team capture the provincial championship.[3][12] Cossa's breakout came in 2017 when he was selected to represent Team Alberta at the WHL Cup, the Western Hockey League's bantam prospects tournament held in Calgary.[12] As part of the goaltending tandem with Garin Bjorklund, he backstopped the team through an undefeated round-robin before they reached the gold medal final, ultimately earning silver after a controversial 4-3 loss to Team British Columbia on a high-stick goal.[12] This exposure against top bantam talents boosted his confidence and visibility, directly contributing to his draft stock. Continuing his development in midget hockey, Cossa moved up to the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers U18 AAA team in the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL) for the 2017-18 season, where he appeared in 19 games with a 3.37 GAA.[3] Notably, he demonstrated strong playoff performance, including a 2.28 GAA and .943 save percentage over 7 games, showcasing his poise under pressure.[3][13] These efforts culminated in his selection by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the second round (36th overall) of the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, paving the way for his transition to major junior hockey.[14][15]Playing career
Junior career in the WHL
Cossa was selected by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the second round, 36th overall, of the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft.[16] After two additional seasons with the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers U18 AAA in the Alberta Major Midget Hockey League, he joined the Oil Kings for the 2019–20 season as a WHL rookie.[3] In his debut WHL campaign, Cossa emerged as a key contributor for the Oil Kings, posting a 21–6–3 record over 33 games with a 2.23 goals-against average (GAA) and .921 save percentage (SV%).[17] He recorded four shutouts and was named the WHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Month for December 2019, during which he went 6–1–1 with a 1.98 GAA and .935 SV% in nine appearances.[18] His strong performance helped the Oil Kings secure a solid playoff position before the season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The following 2020–21 season was shortened by ongoing pandemic restrictions, but Cossa dominated in 19 games, achieving a 17–1–1 record, 1.57 GAA, and .941 SV% while tying for the league lead with four shutouts.[1] These figures led the WHL in both GAA and SV%, underscoring his status as one of the top junior goaltenders in North America.[5] His exceptional play earned him recognition as a finalist for the CHL Goaltender of the Year award.[3] Cossa's tenure culminated in the 2021–22 season, where he anchored the Oil Kings' championship effort with a 33–9–3 regular-season record in 46 games, a 2.28 GAA, .913 SV%, and six shutouts.[4] In the playoffs, he backstopped Edmonton to the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions, going 16–3 with a 1.93 GAA and .919 SV% over 19 games, including five shutouts. The Oil Kings advanced to the Memorial Cup but fell in the final to the Hamilton Bulldogs. On July 23, 2021, following his dominant 2020–21 performance, Cossa was selected 15th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL Entry Draft.[5] Over his full WHL career with the Oil Kings from 2019 to 2022, he appeared in 98 games, compiling a 71–16–7 record, 2.12 GAA, and .921 SV%.[3]Professional career with the Red Wings organization
Cossa signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings on August 14, 2021, carrying a cap hit of $863,334 per season. After completing his junior season with the Edmonton Oil Kings, he turned professional in the 2022-23 season, initially assigned to the Red Wings' ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye, where he appeared in 46 regular-season games and posted a 26-16-4 record with a 2.56 goals-against average (GAA) and .913 save percentage (SV%).[19] He made his AHL debut with the Grand Rapids Griffins on October 19, 2022, against the Milwaukee Admirals, securing a 3-2 victory with 21 saves, but struggled overall in three appearances that season, recording a 1-1-0 mark, 5.57 GAA, and .783 SV%.[20] Limited playing time in the AHL stemmed from adjustment challenges, leading to his primary development in the ECHL.[21] In the 2023-24 season, Cossa established himself as the Griffins' primary goaltender, appearing in 40 regular-season games with a 22-9-9 record, 2.41 GAA, .913 SV%, and two shutouts.[2] His performance earned him a selection to the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic and helped Grand Rapids reach the Calder Cup Finals, where he went 5-4 with a 2.72 GAA in nine playoff starts.[22][2] Cossa continued his strong AHL play in 2024-25, logging 41 games for the Griffins with a 21-15-5 record, 2.45 GAA, .911 SV%, and one shutout.[2] On December 2, 2024, he was recalled by the Red Wings under emergency conditions due to injuries in the NHL goaltending tandem.[23] He made his NHL debut on December 9, 2024, against the Buffalo Sabres, entering in relief of Ville Husso in the second period and stopping 12 of 14 shots while denying two of three shootout attempts to secure a 6-5 victory in his only appearance that season (1-0-0, 2.67 GAA, .857 SV%).[7] Cossa was reassigned to Grand Rapids the following day.[24] Cossa entered the 2025-26 season under the final year of his entry-level contract and began strongly with the Griffins, going 4-0-0 with a 1.75 GAA, .939 SV%, and one shutout in four starts.[3] However, on November 10, 2025, he suffered a lower-body injury during practice, sidelining him indefinitely and leaving Grand Rapids without its top goaltender.[25]International career
World Junior Championships
Cossa was named to Canada's roster for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, which began in Edmonton, Alberta, on December 26, 2021.[26] The 19-year-old goaltender, selected as the third option behind Dylan Garand and Brett Brochu, did not see any game action.[27] The tournament was suspended after two days of play due to COVID-19 cases and fully canceled on December 29, 2021, with no medals awarded.[28] Cossa was again selected to represent Canada at the rescheduled 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton from August 9 to 20, 2022.[29] He appeared in one game during the tournament, starting against Latvia on August 10 and securing a 5-2 victory with 22 saves on 24 shots (2.00 GAA, .917 SV%).[30] Serving primarily as backup to Dylan Garand in the other six games, Cossa helped Canada win gold with a 3-2 overtime victory over Finland in the final, marking the country's 19th title at the event.[31][32][33] As a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings, Cossa became the first player from the club to win a World Junior gold medal.[33] Following his transition to professional hockey with the Detroit Red Wings organization after the 2021–22 season, Cossa did not make additional appearances at the World Junior Championships.[3]World U18 Championships
Cossa was selected to Canada's under-18 development program in 2020 as part of Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence goaltending camp, positioning him as a developmental prospect for the IIHF World Under-18 Championships scheduled for Plymouth, Michigan.[34] However, the tournament was canceled on March 13, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing any main-round play.[35] Although pre-tournament preparations were underway, no official games occurred, limiting Cossa's ice time to camp sessions where he served in a third-string development role amid a talented group of young goaltenders.[34] Cossa had no further appearances at the U18 level, focusing instead on his junior club career and subsequent international opportunities at the under-20 level. His early selection highlighted his emerging promise as a WHL standout, but the lack of competitive exposure at this tournament underscored the challenges of the disrupted 2020 season for developing prospects.[3]Career statistics
WHL Regular Season
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Min | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | 33 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 1,880 | 2.23 | .921 | 4 |
| 2020–21 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1,144 | 1.57 | .941 | 4 |
| 2021–22 | 46 | 33 | 9 | 3 | 2,631 | 2.28 | .913 | 6 |
WHL Playoffs
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Min | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 1,150 | 1.93 | .919 | 5 |
Memorial Cup
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Min | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 184 | 3.25 | .908 | 0 |
ECHL Regular Season
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Min | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 46 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 2,667 | 2.56 | .913 | 4 |
ECHL Playoffs
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Min | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 419 | 2.86 | .904 | 0 |
AHL Regular Season
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Min | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 140 | 5.57 | .783 | 0 |
| 2023–24 | 40 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 2,389 | 2.41 | .913 | 2 |
| 2024–25 | 41 | 21 | 15 | 5 | 2,425 | 2.45 | .911 | 1 |
| 2025–26 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 239 | 1.75 | .939 | 1 |
AHL Playoffs
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Min | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 551 | 2.72 | .900 | 0 |
| 2024–25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 120 | 4.51 | .868 | 0 |
NHL Regular Season
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Min | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 2.67 | .857 | 0 |
International
Cossa's international statistics from IIHF tournaments are summarized in the following table.| Year | Tournament | GP | W | L | OTL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | World Junior Championships | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2023 | World Junior Championships | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 | .917 | 0 |