Exclusive: Red Wings' Sebastian Cossa Talks Near Perfect Start, Relationship With John Gibson

The Detroit Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, have opened the season in remarkable fashion, winning 20 of their first 22 games. Leading the charge is top prospect Sebastian Cossa, who has been nearly unbeatable in net.

Detroit’s 15th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft has been dominant, posting an 11-1-0 record with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage through 12 appearances.

The Hockey News spoke with Cossa ahead of the Griffins’ weekend matchups against the Rockford IceHogs and the Chicago Wolves. Cossa credited his impressive numbers to the experienced group playing in front of him, noting the impact of the NHL veterans on the roster.

"Being my third year in AHL now, a lot of confidence in myself, and knowing what I need to bring every night to play well and then obviously, I think we've got one of the best penalty kills in the league, which helps out a lot," Cossa started off by saying "As I said, I think the NHL experience, especially a lot on the back end, has helped out a lot for sure, so, definitely playing good hockey, and feeling really confident in my game, but the boys helped me out a lot too."

Grand Rapids’ leading scorer John Leonard recently spoke about the team maintaining a day-by-day mindset despite their strong start, a sentiment Cossa echoed. He acknowledged the outside buzz surrounding the team’s success but emphasized their commitment to staying grounded.

"The noise is going to be there with the start we've had, but I think we're still taking day by day, not letting it get to our heads, and still coming to work every day with a great work mentality and taking the next game with what it is face value," Cossa explained "Basically, I think every team's coming into our building when they play us, knowing that they're playing the best team in the league right now, so we're getting everyone's A game and I think every night someone on our team has stepped up and helped us get these wins here and there."

Cossa also spent part of the offseason working extensively with Griffins goalie coach Roope Koistinen, who has guided him throughout his three AHL seasons.

They focused on refining Cossa’s approach, helping him rely more on his natural reactions while maximizing the advantages of his six-foot-six frame, particularly in controlling slides and handling lateral movement.

Sebastian Cossa with the SAVE OF THE YEAR! (After misplaying the pass but who cares). He even has a big smirk on his face at the end of this clip #GoGRG#LGRWpic.twitter.com/JIZwKlaYHq

— Griffins Nest (@GrGriffinsNest) December 6, 2025

During that same offseason, Detroit made waves by acquiring goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks in a Draft Day trade, giving the Red Wings their strongest goalie tandem in years. Cossa had the chance to work with Gibson during training camp and said the two quickly formed a strong connection, praising Gibson’s mentorship.

"I got to spend some time with him, trying to pick his brain as much as possible, he's an awesome guy, very reciprocal with me, very respectful, and just trying to help me out as much as he could, so he did a great job at that, someone who I feel confident that I can go talk to and chat with and stuff like that," Cossa said.

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Cossa also expressed admiration for Gibson’s recent performances, especially his ability to rebound after a challenging start in Detroit. When asked about early-season rumors of a possible NHL call-up during Detroit’s shaky stretch in goal, Cossa made it clear that while his ultimate goal is the NHL, his priority is to excel consistently at the AHL level first.

Sebastian Cossa save thread ⬇️#LGRWpic.twitter.com/1a2ALvWS8b

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) December 11, 2025

"Yeah, I mean, it's tough obviously you do hear it, at the end of the day, you do want to be there, so that's what you're striving for but I know that I need to dominate at this level for a sustained period of time and once that happens, hopefully get my shot, but just trying to take it day by day, do what I keep doing down here that's made me successful throughout the year and hopefully by the time I do get my shot, just bring that up and bring that routine up to Detroit," Cossa explained.

Throughout the interview, Cossa repeatedly emphasized his goal not simply to compete, but to dominate at every stage of his development. With the start he’s had, he’s proving exactly that. He concluded by saying that while the team hopes to carry their momentum into the postseason, their focus remains on maintaining high standards each night rather than looking too far ahead.

The Griffins return to the ice Saturday night when they host Rockford at Van Andel Arena. Fans can tune in on 96.1 The Game, WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM, stream through AHL.TV on FloHockey.tv. 

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