About Matt Cooke
Matthew David Cooke (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former professional player. He is the current head coach and general manager of the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Cooke played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Cooke won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and was a member of the Team Canada team that won the gold medal at the 2004 World Championships. He also played for the Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, and Minnesota Wild. Cooke was born in Belleville, Ontario, but grew up in Stirling, Ontario. He served as head coach of the Newfoundland Growlers for the 2023/24 season. Cooke's playing style earned him the reputation as one of the NHL's "pests". During his NHL career, Cooke was criticized and often suspended for hits, some involving head-shots, or knee-on-knee collisions that have injured opposing players. Most notable was a hit to the head of Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins in March 2010, which was an important factor influencing NHL rule changes intended to deter such conduct. After his longest suspension in March 2011 for a hit to the head of Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers, Cooke pledged to change his style of play, although he had another lengthy suspension in April 2014 during the first round of the 2014 playoffs for a knee-on-knee hit delivered to Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche. Perhaps Cooke's most memorable moment with the Canucks occurred during this stint on the first line as the Canucks entered the 2004 playoffs against the Calgary Flames. Typically playing in the role of a checking winger, Cooke recorded a career-high 42 points in 2002–03 and earned the Fred J.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.