Rookie goaltender Sebastian Cossa has been extremely busy to start his pro career with the Toledo Walleye and the young netminder wouldn't want it any other way.
Cossa, a 20-year-old highly regarded prospect, has started in 12 of the team's 15 games. Cossa started in eight straight games from Nov. 4 to Nov. 23.
“It's been nice for sure,” Cossa said. “I'm seeing the puck a lot and staying in game shape for sure. So I'm definitely liking it and just hoping for some more wins.
Cossa was a first-round NHL draft pick by the Detroit Red Wings, taken 15th overall in 2021. The 6-foot-6 and 210-pound goaltender was sent to Detroit's Double-A affiliate in Toledo to get his career started.
The native of Hamilton, Ont. has played the second most minutes in the ECHL.
“It's been good. Obviously, it's my first year in pro here. It's definitely a change,” Cossa said. “We've been really busy this past this month and going into December, we're going to be busy with a lot of games. I just try to take it day by day.”
Cossa (5-6-1) has a 2.82 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage.
“The numbers are not something I really look at. You take it with a grain of salt. I'd like to see more wins,” Cossa said.
His record reflects the sluggish start to the season by the Walleye, who are 6-8-1 and in sixth place in the seven-team Central Division. Toledo snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-1 win at Cincinnati on Friday night as Cossa earned the win, stopping 23 of 24 shots.
“There's definitely a lot of time to turn that record around,” Cossa said.
The young goalie is coming off a terrific junior career in the Western Hockey League. Cossa played in 46 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings last regular season and finished with a 33-9-3 record with six shutouts. Cossa posted a 2.28 goals-against average (ranked third in the league) and a .913 save percentage (fourth).
Cossa then posted a 16-3-0 record with a 1.93 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in the playoffs in leading Edmonton to the WHL championship. He was named to the WHL all-star team.
Cossa made 21 saves during his pro debut for Grand Rapids against the Milwaukee Admirals en route to recording his first professional victory. He was then assigned to the ECHL before the start of the Walleye's season.
“Stepping in here and with my time in Detroit and Grand Rapids. I thought I've done well,” Cossa said. “I just keep trying to develop and get better. It's been awesome here.”
Cossa said he has been impressed with the crowds at the Huntington Center. The Walleye rank second in the league with an average crowd of 7,368 per game. Toledo has sold-out four of its six home games.
“It's been sold out. So that's been has been great,” Cossa said. “The fans have been awesome. There's lots of energy and every night even if we aren't playing our best and they're trying to help us as much as they can. So it's been great. The fans have been really good. I didn't know ECHL teams had that many fans but it has been really good.”
The Walleye play 15 games in December and Cossa said he is eager to help the team get on track.
“I want to win. If we're winning hockey games, it means we're probably playing pretty good as a team,” Cossa said. “I want to keep developing and playing as many games as I can and just continue to play a lot of games. I like coming out every day in with the pro guys and taking all their shots. That helps a lot.”
SUSPENSION: Walleye defenseman Eemil Viro was suspended for two games by the ECHL as a result of his actions on Friday. Viro was assigned to Toledo from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League before Friday's game. Viro hit former Walleye defenseman Dajon Mingo into the boards behind the net. Viro was not called for a penalty on the play.
TRANSACTIONS: The Red Wings also reassigned D Donovan Sebrango along with Viro to the Walleye on Friday.
Sebrango, a third-year pro, has played in 15 games this season with the Griffins, totaling four points (3 G, 1 A), eight penalty minutes, and a plus-one rating. In111 AHL games, the 20-year-old has four goals, 11 assists, and 49 penalty minutes.
Viro, 20, is in the midst of his rookie campaign after spending the past three seasons with TPS in Finland. The Vantaa, Finland, native has one goal and six penalty minutes in 11 games with Grand Rapids.
First Published December 3, 2022, 11:51 p.m.
