Matt Cooke

Matt Cooke was on September 7, 1978 in Belleville, a small town in southern Ontario, Canada. His whole hockey career, Cooke played left wing and was notorious for his aggressive fore-checking and secondary scoring.

He spent most of his junior hockey career with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Windsor Spitfires, until he was traded to the Kingston Frontenacs for the remaining 25 games of the 1998 campaign. He scored a combined 168 points and collected 347 penalty minutes in 174 games.

In 1997, Cooke was drafted 144th by the Vancouver Canucks and started on the ice the next season under head coach Mike Keenan. Midway through the season, he was sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) and played for the Canucks affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

In 2000, the Canucks called Cooke for help. Head coach Marc Crawford needed Cooke for third line speed and aggression. He played hard for the west coast Canadian club and then he was traded on the 2008 trade deadline to a playoff competitive Washington Capitals. In the offseason on July 5, 2008, the Penguins signed the two-way winger. He contributed to their 2009 Stanley Cup Championship by sustaining a stable penalty kill and needed scoring at clutch moments.

Matt Cooke finished the 2009/10 campaign playing 79 games. He tallied 15 goals and 30 points and was ranked 40th in the league with 106 penalty minutes. He was the Penguins agitator and aggressor to help the team gain in-game momentum and attitude.

However, his rash on-ice decisions have cost Cooke some trouble. On November 28, 2009, during a home in Mellon Arena, Cooke crosschecked New York Rangers’ young forward, Artem Ainismov, while his head was down. The NHL suspended Cooke for two games and fined him forfeiting $29,268.30 USD of his salary. http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=507954

The rampage continued as Cooke crossed path with Boston Bruins playmaker Marc Savard. On March 7, 2010, Cooke elbowed Savard in the head, leaving him unconscious, momentarily. Savard was concussed and left out of the Bruins’ lineup for a number of weeks. The controversial hit left Cooke without suspension and any other relative consequences.

Cooke left the 2009/10 season with some memorable highlights that only plagued his legacy and reputation, especially, his one-on-one with Atlanta Thrashers’ rookie winger, Evander Kane. Kane knocked out Cooke with one swift blow to the jaw, with the fight only lasting seconds.

These events did not phase Cooke for his mind was focused on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he became a prime target for their first round match, the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins finished the Sens in 6 games to advance to the next round against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite Cooke's aggressive play, the Penguins lost in Game seven at home, sending Cooke home empty handed and without controversy.

The 2008/09 campaign was Cooke’s brightest highlight, finishing the season by hoisting a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was his first to date.

Cooke played a vital role as one of head coach, Dan Bylsma's aggressive forwards, who crashed the boards, nets and some bodies. He was instrumental in their third and fourth energy lines, helping his teammates, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, taking over the reigns, where the Penguins can depend on their primary scoring.

Cooke signed with the Penguins on July 5 2008. He was brought in for his grit and irritating demeanor—a perfect fit for general manager, Ray Shero, who was looking for a player to take on unsung duties on the ice.

Cooke finished the season with 31 points and 101 penalty minutes in 76 games, leading him and his team and withholding an exceptional playoff performance. He helped the Penguins win their third Stanley Cup in franchise history.