Vancouver forward Paul Cotter, who served as a dressing-room DJ for the New Jersey Devils, says he is open to continuing similar duties with the Canucks by matching music to the group’s preferences.
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New Vancouver Canucks forward Paul Cotter has indicated he would be willing to take on dressing-room music duties if called upon, continuing a role he handled for the New Jersey Devils over the past two seasons.
Cotter, 26, said that if his name comes up for the job in Vancouver, he has no problem doing it but is not seeking the responsibility on his own. “If my name is called upon here, I have no problem doing it. I won’t be asking for it, but if they need me, I got it,” he said.
During his time with New Jersey, Cotter was credited with DJ duties under the nickname “DJ Pauly C,” a reference to Jersey Shore’s DJ Pauly D (Paul DelVecchio Jr.). That history is part of the context for his transition to the Canucks, where he is described as a versatile option who could contribute in multiple areas of the roster.
Cotter’s approach to choosing music is less about sticking to one genre and more about gauging the make-up of the room. He said the key is “reading the group,” explaining that player backgrounds and age profiles can influence what songs work best.
In particular, Cotter said his experience with Devils dressing-room preferences included a mix of Europeans who leaned toward certain styles, along with older players who tended to like rock. He said that in Vancouver he has started to learn what different players enjoy, including recognizing differences he expects between older and younger teammates.
Cotter suggested that the dressing-room audience can vary by age group, using the examples of 36-year-old defenceman Luke Schenn and 20-year-old defenceman Zeev Buium, as well as older winger Brendan Gallagher and a younger group. He said the older players are often the ones who need to be most satisfied in terms of music because younger players may feel less comfortable speaking up.
When asked about his own taste, Cotter said his personal playlist includes a lot of country, which he characterizes as sometimes working well in a dressing room. He said country can fit certain parts of the day, describing “practice days” as a “good country day,” while he expects a more “old school” tone for the pre-game skate.
Outside the rink, Cotter said his morning listening tends to be “probably a little bit slower,” ranging from country to John Mayer and Michael Bublé. After practices or before games, he said music can shift toward something with more pace, with examples including throwbacks or EDM (electronic dance music). He added that the selection depends on the day and the mood.
Cotter also described how he has built his music knowledge over time. He said he adopted the practice of curating songs after others shared favourites with him, including tracking favourite songs during his early years when his father had a role in minor hockey dressing-room music.
He said he has been “turning them into playlists over the years,” and credited that approach with helping him learn what different people respond to.
The forward’s guidance extends beyond personal preference to group dynamics. He said he takes time to consider song suggestions with the goal of getting everyone going, framing it as both personal input and room-reading.
As an example of music he thinks can connect different age groups, Cotter said he eventually suggests ABBA, pointing to their upbeat, broadly appealing songs and memorable hooks.
Cotter’s view of what works in the dressing room was also shaped by his own experience as a concert fan, and he said his most recent favourite concert was Coldplay in Las Vegas two summers ago with his fiancée. He also referenced a viral incident involving a different Coldplay show, noting that he was not talking about the Foxborough, Mass., concert that drew attention for an on-camera moment involving executives.
In addition to the off-ice role, Cotter’s on-ice framing came with the same roster context: the Canucks acquired him in the offseason as a free-agent signing. He is described as a 6-foot-2, 213-pound forward who projects as a bottom-six energy option, and the team’s new coach Manny Malhotra is said to be using him in that role alongside Brendan Gallagher and Braeden Cootes.
Cotter is also coming off a nine-goal, 15-point season with the Devils and previously recorded 16 goals two seasons earlier. New Jersey did not issue him a qualifying offer this summer, leading him to become an unrestricted free agent, and he signed a one-year contract with Vancouver with a cap hit of $2.15 million.
The Canucks’ coaching and lineup decisions for the upcoming campaign, combined with Cotter’s stated willingness to help set the soundtrack, place him in a position where both his contributions on the ice and his dressing-room involvement could matter to daily team routines.
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