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THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH talking a bit of trash. In fact, there was a time when Sebastian Cossa thrived on it.
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In August 2021, now-Utah Mammoth winger and then-Cossa’s Edmonton Oil Kings teammate Dylan Guenther was asked about the netminder’s smack-talking proclivities. Guenther told reporters Cossa had “no mercy.”
But when Cossa is pressed about that penchant for verbal sparring, he only laughs before offering that that was then and this is now.
At the ripe old age of 23, Cossa insists he’s a changed man. “Some guys would chirp me, and I’d chirp them back,” he said. “That fuels me a little more and would make me a little more dialled at that point. But over the last two years, I’ve realized I don’t really need that as much. Let the players take care of that and then just worry about myself at this point.”
Credit where it’s due: it’s commendable Cossa has become comfortable enough in his own skin – and, as importantly, with his own game – that he has been able to stash the chirping in his back pocket. Truth be told, coming to the realization he no longer really needs that element to his game puts Cossa clear of many a beer-leaguer who somehow feels the need to heckle opponents at an 11 p.m. ice time. Perhaps that’s the maturity to which Cossa is referring when he mentions he’s been called “an old soul.”
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For Cossa, though, growing up quickly has always been a part of his story. His life and his on-ice career have been on the fast track since the time he was 13.
While his hockey card lists Hamilton, Ont., as his hometown, Cossa makes clear he hails from Fort McMurray, Alta. And while oil and the money that flows along with it are plentiful in ‘Fort Mac,’ elite-level hockey teams are not. The options for a talented young player to take the step to AAA hockey were limited. So when he was only 13, he had to decide whether to stay close to home or pack his things to pursue his dreams.
Ultimately, Cossa chose to hit the road. Leaving his family behind, he billeted in Fort Saskatchewan, a stone’s throw from Edmonton, in order to play high-level hockey. By 14, he was a second-round choice of Edmonton in the WHL’s bantam draft. By 16, he was the Oil Kings’ starting keeper. And just one year later, he was drafted 15th overall by the Detroit Red Wings. Since then, no goaltender has been selected higher.
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From there, Cossa has only continued on his upward trajectory. His first full professional season was spent with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, followed by a full campaign with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, which led to Cossa getting his first, albeit brief, taste of the NHL in 2024-25. “Life’s moved a little bit quicker for me,” he said. “But I couldn’t have asked for anything else. It definitely has helped me mature.”
Given his steady and persistent rise, it might stand to reason that patience isn’t Cossa’s strong suit. After all, his career has thus far been defined by what’s next, not what’s present. So when his pathway to regular NHL duty was blocked after the franchise swung a deal in the summer for veteran keeper John Gibson, it was natural to wonder how he would react.
But he showed maturity with his understanding of his place in the Red Wings’ pecking order. “You do want to be there at the NHL level, but sometimes, you need to look in the mirror and see what you can continue to improve and also understand the situation as well,” he said, later adding that it would be hard to argue he should be in the NHL with how well Gibson and backup Cam Talbot have been playing.
Many of the things Cossa has worked on improving this season have been the mental, not physical, aspects of the game. Standing 6-foot-7, Cossa casts a shadow over the blue paint, and size has always been one of his most evident attributes. He’s also far more athletic for a goalie of his stature than one might expect. Knowing how to properly use those raw tools, though, is what separates top keepers from the pack. “For me, it’s a lot of positional stuff – depth-related, when to take ice and when to maybe take a little bit less,” he said. “Something for me is my hands, for sure. When my hands are on and dialled, there’s not a lot of spots to get beat for me.”
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The way Cossa says that, too – that when he’s on, he’ll back himself to stop just about anything – has an air of self-assuredness that some would say borders on cockiness. But that matter-of-factness is self-belief that Cossa feels he builds through his work ethic. “We’ve got a really good system here with me and my goalie coach (Roope Koistinen) putting in a lot of work but being smart with it,” Cossa said. “I’m going into games feeling confident because I’ve put in the work during the week, and, at that point, it’s just going out there and playing.”
As with his grasp of his place on the depth chart, Cossa is not so confident as to believe he is infallible. He offers a frank and honest assessment of his play, particularly his past two seasons in the AHL. The first, he said, was defined by a meek start and a strong finish. His sophomore year, however, he views as the opposite: dominant early, with an ill-timed drop-off come the playoffs. That’s led him to view the current campaign as an opportunity to prove he has the requisite consistency to make the NHL leap.
If that is his challenge to himself, the early returns have been favorable. When the AHL broke for its All-Star Game – at which Cossa represented the Central Division – he was tied for the league lead with 20 wins (in 26 games) and second in goals-against average (1.99) and save percentage (.928) among goaltenders to have played at least 900 minutes. On their merits alone, those are impressive numbers. But when taking into consideration the AHL-leading Griffins have a sizable target on their backs, meaning Cossa gets the opposition’s best on a nightly basis, his performance stands out even further.
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Even still, Cossa won’t be caught lamenting that he hasn’t found his way back up to Detroit this season. He’s keen on taking advantage of the opportunity he has and not trying to waste his time or energy focusing on the opportunity he wants.
His journey may have started early, but Cossa understands this is a long haul. “I love Grand Rapids, the city, and I love the group we have here,” he said. “I’m having a lot of fun, which makes it easier going to the rink every day. If you weren’t very happy here or putting a lot of thought into that, the answer would be different. But for me, right now, I’m trying to stay where my feet are.”
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