Matt Cooke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matt Cooke
Cooke with the Pittsburgh Penguins in April 2010
Born	(1978-09-07) September 7, 1978 (age 46) Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	208 lb (94 kg; 14 st 12 lb)
Position	Left wing
Played for	Vancouver Canucks Washington Capitals Pittsburgh Penguins Minnesota Wild
Current ECHL coach	Newfoundland Growlers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	144th overall, 1997 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	1998–2015

Matthew David Cooke (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for sixteen seasons and in 1,046 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). Cooke won the famous Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. He was also part of the Team Canada team that won a gold medal at the 2004 World Championships.

Besides the Penguins, he played in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, and Minnesota Wild. Cooke was born in Belleville, Ontario, but grew up in Stirling, Ontario. He was the head coach for the Newfoundland Growlers during the 2023-24 season.

Cooke was known for his tough and physical playing style. Sometimes, his hits on other players led to rule violations and suspensions. One important hit in March 2010, which affected Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins, helped change NHL rules to make the game safer. After a long suspension in March 2011, Cooke promised to change how he played. However, he received another suspension in April 2014 for a knee-on-knee hit during the playoffs.

Playing Career Highlights

As a young player, Cooke played in the 1992 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He was part of the Quinte minor ice hockey team from Belleville, Ontario.

Cooke played junior ice hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for three seasons. He mostly played for the Windsor Spitfires. In his second OHL season, he scored 95 points and had 146 penalty minutes. Because of his strong play, the Vancouver Canucks drafted him 144th overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. After being drafted, he played one more OHL season. He was traded from Windsor to the Kingston Frontenacs in December 1997. He finished his OHL career with Kingston.

Time with the Vancouver Canucks

Matt Cooke in 2006

Cooke with the Vancouver Canucks in 2007.

Cooke split his time between the Canucks and their minor league team, the Syracuse Crunch, in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons. He became a full-time player for the Canucks in the 2000-01 season.

Cooke usually played as a "checking winger," which means he focused on stopping opponents and playing tough defense. In the 2002-03 season, he scored a career-high 42 points. He also won the Fred J. Hume Award as the team's unsung hero. This award goes to a player who contributes a lot but might not always get the most attention.

In the 2003-04 season, after coming back from an injury, he moved up to the Canucks' top offensive line. He joined star players Markus Näslund and Brendan Morrison for the last 13 games of the season and the playoffs. This happened because another player was suspended.

One of Cooke's most memorable moments with the Canucks happened in the 2004 playoffs. The Canucks were playing against the Calgary Flames. In the final minute of the deciding Game 7, the Canucks were losing by one goal. Cooke scored a dramatic goal with only five seconds left, tying the game! This was his second goal of that game. However, the Flames won the series in overtime.

After the 2004-05 NHL season was canceled due to a lockout, Cooke played two more full seasons with the Canucks. His contract was set to end after the 2007-08 season. He was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Matt Pettinger. This trade ended his nine seasons with the Canucks. At that time, he was 12th all-time in games played for the team, with 556 games.

Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins

Cooke with the Capitals, March 2008.

Cooke played 17 games with the Capitals at the end of the 2007-08 season, scoring seven points. On July 5, 2008, Cooke signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He injured his ribs in October during his first season with the Penguins, missing four games. He returned to play by the end of the month.

On December 2, 2008, he was named an alternate captain for the Penguins for the month of December. The next month, on January 27, 2009, Cooke was suspended for two games. This was for a hit he made on Carolina Hurricanes player Scott Walker. Cooke helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2009.

Cooke with the Penguins

Cooke had a new career high in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring four goals. Two of these goals came in the important Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators. On June 22, 2010, Cooke signed a new three-year contract to stay with the Penguins.

Minnesota Wild Years

After his contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins ended, Cooke signed a three-year contract with the Minnesota Wild on July 5, 2013. This meant he returned to the Western Conference, where he had played with the Vancouver Canucks. In his first season with the Wild (2013-14), Cooke played in all 82 games. He scored 10 goals and had 18 assists, for a total of 28 points.

In the 2014-15 season, Cooke had many injuries and only played in 29 regular season games. The Minnesota Wild decided to buy out the last year of his contract on June 19, 2015. This meant he became a free agent.

Coaching Career

On October 7, 2023, Cooke was hired as the head coach of the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL. He stayed in that role until the Growlers team stopped playing on April 2, 2024.

In July 2025, it was announced that Cooke would join the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL as their Head Coach and General Manager.

International Play

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold	2004 Czech Republic

Cooke first played internationally for the Canadian national junior team at the 1998 World Junior Championships. He scored two points in six games. Canada finished eighth in that tournament.

He then played for Team Canada at the 2004 World Championships. Cooke helped Canada win the gold medal, scoring four points in nine games.

Personal Life

Cooke married his wife Michelle in 2001. They have three children: a daughter, a son, and a stepdaughter. Cooke and Michelle used to run a charity called The Cooke Family Foundation of Hope, which was based in Vancouver. The foundation closed in 2016.

Awards and Achievements

• Fred J. Hume Award (Vancouver Canucks' unsung hero) – 2003
• Gold medal (Team Canada) – 2004 World Championships
• Stanley Cup – 2009

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1998	Canada	WJC	8th		6	1	1	2	6
2004	Canada	WC			9	2	2	4	8
Junior totals					6	1	1	2	6
Senior totals					9	2	2	4	8