The Matt Cooke Appreciation Thread

[Waffle Fries]

I'll miss Cooke. He was a penalty killing beast and our best player in the playoffs. All heart.



I always loved this.

 

[Zirakzigil]

He will be missed. Great penalty killer and a solid bottom 6 player.

 

[Engebretson]

Hey guys, Wild fan here.

Wanted to clarify the hate that a lot of Wild fans have for Cooke. We ran into him a lot during our mini-feud with Vancouver in the mid-2000's during which most of the Canuck team was vilified in Minnesota (our fans still boo Bertuzzi to this day when we play Detroit). Without going into detail about specific incidents, he earned a reputation as a cheap shot artist in Wild fans' eyes before most of the other teams in the league followed suit.

Personally, I was one that said I'd always hate Cooke until he was out of the league, but I find myself trying to find solace in the positives of today's signing. I like what he can bring as a player as long as his old antics are in the past. He's got a lot of image rebuilding to do in Minnesota and it would probably help if he got involved in the charities, youth hockey programs, etc. in the area. Did he do any of that in Pittsburgh?

Anyway, I think we'd all like this signing a little more if we didn't have our history with him. Hopefully we can learn to love him as much as you guys did. Time heals all wounds, right?

 

[66-30-33]

Bye Cooke, Good luck in Minny!

 

[Waffle Fries]

Hey guys, Wild fan here.

Wanted to clarify the hate that a lot of Wild fans have for Cooke. We ran into him a lot during our mini-feud with Vancouver in the mid-2000's during which most of the Canuck team was vilified in Minnesota (our fans still boo Bertuzzi to this day when we play Detroit). Without going into detail about specific incidents, he earned a reputation as a cheap shot artist in Wild fans' eyes before most of the other teams in the league followed suit.

Personally, I was one that said I'd always hate Cooke until he was out of the league, but I find myself trying to find solace in the positives of today's signing. I like what he can bring as a player as long as his old antics are in the past. He's got a lot of image rebuilding to do in Minnesota and it would probably help if he got involved in the charities, youth hockey programs, etc. in the area. Did he do any of that in Pittsburgh?

Anyway, I think we'd all like this signing a little more if we didn't have our history with him. Hopefully we can learn to love him as much as you guys did. Time heals all wounds, right?

Yes he did.

You'll learn to love Cooke. He's a great bottom six player, he's reigned in his game from what he used to be, will provide decent offense for a third liner, and his penalty killing is phenomenal.

He was probably our best forward in the playoffs. He played his heart out every shift.

 

[Engebretson]

Yes he did.

You'll learn to love Cooke. He's a great bottom six player, he's reigned in his game from what he used to be, will provide decent offense for a third liner, and his penalty killing is phenomenal.

He was probably our best forward in the playoffs. He played his heart out every shift.

Thanks. What you said is basically what I've been hearing about his game in recent years. If that's the case, I can learn to be happy with him in a Wild sweater.

 

[Crafton]

Personally, I was one that said I'd always hate Cooke until he was out of the league, but I find myself trying to find solace in the positives of today's signing. I like what he can bring as a player as long as his old antics are in the past. He's got a lot of image rebuilding to do in Minnesota and it would probably help if he got involved in the charities, youth hockey programs, etc. in the area. Did he do any of that in Pittsburgh?

Anyway, I think we'd all like this signing a little more if we didn't have our history with him. Hopefully we can learn to love him as much as you guys did. Time heals all wounds, right?

he did a lot of charity work in Pittsburgh. as i recall most of it was geared towards healthcare, i want to say raising funds for MS but i'd have to look it up. he's also great with kids (there's some great interactions in 24/7 and the like)

here's a relevant article. here's his foundation.

 

[MonsterSurge]

I'm going to have to wear my Cooke jersey shirt tomorrow.

 

[jmelm]

Hey guys, Wild fan here.

Wanted to clarify the hate that a lot of Wild fans have for Cooke...

The hate for Cooke is realistically justifiable, even though he gets more hate than he deserves. But given this perception around the league, I actually thought this may confer some leverage to us in negotiating with him because he is so welcome, comfortable & loved by his Pens teammates and their fans, and thus provides him with a type of haven a guy like him could really appreciate. But...


It's no surprise to see that, if he were to sign with another team, it would end up being the Wild. Fletcher and Yeo know the quality of this player and the person. They also have the relationship with the Pens staff, and if Fletcher reached out to Shero if Ray knew Cooke's salary requests were out of his wheelhouse, Fletcher would have had the relationship and connections to hear the truth: Matt Cooke is a great player who gets more of a bad rap than he deserves, and is respected by his teammates and not an issue in the dressing room.


I'm sure that Fletcher, if he so desires, can sell this message to his other players and fans/media, if necessary; and they know how good and valuable a player Cooke can be. All of this makes Minny probably the best destination Cooke could possibly go to as a UFA, both monetarily and otherwise.

 

[Engebretson]

he did a lot of charity work in Pittsburgh. as i recall most of it was geared towards healthcare, i want to say raising funds for MS but i'd have to look it up. he's also great with kids (there's some great interactions in 24/7 and the like)

here's a relevant article. here's his foundation.

Thanks! Josh Harding just started his own charity for MS research here in Minnesota and I have to think if Cooke wants to get involved in the community, that'd be a perfect start. Thank you for the link too. Maybe we will see him slowly win our fans over.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Thanks! Josh Harding just started his own charity for MS research here in Minnesota and I have to think if Cooke wants to get involved in the community, that'd be a perfect start. Thank you for the link too. Maybe we will see him slowly win our fans over.

Cooke is very active in the community. And I realize he has a bad reputation but that's all it really is, at this point -- a reputation. It sounds like such a ********* thing to say but the guy really has rehabilitated his game. Even if that reputation gets him some unwanted (and often unwarranted) attention from the refs.

I was not at all a pre-reformed Cooke fan. Too filthy. Too much of a distraction. Too much of a liability. But he really turned my opinion around the last couple of years. And I think he has a lot of good hockey left to give Minnesota. They got him for a completely reasonable deal and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well rounded his game is.

Bonus -- extra gear in the post season.

 

[Engebretson]

Cool, thank you everyone for the responses!

 

[Candyman]

Thank you Matt Cooke! Best of luck to you in Minnesota. Wish nothing but the best for you and your family. You played your part well in Pittsburgh and we appreciate every moment of your service.

 

[IcedCapp]

Cool, thank you everyone for the responses!

enjoy your random "2-5 minutes for being Matt Cooke" PKs, though.

 

[Fuzzy Bunny]

Out of all the guys I wanted to return from our UFA-to-be it was Cooke who I was hoping could return but at 2.5 million the Penguins could never retain him. I wish him the very best.

 

[Engebretson]

enjoy your random "2-5 minutes for being Matt Cooke" PKs, though.

We've employed Derek Boogaard. We're familiar with the drill.

 

[billybudd]

Played well and was a complete bargain. I also hate him dating back to his days of kneeing everybody and their mothers with the Canucks. At least we only have to see him once-ish per year.

 

[billybudd]

Hey guys, Wild fan here.

Wanted to clarify the hate that a lot of Wild fans have for Cooke. We ran into him a lot during our mini-feud with Vancouver in the mid-2000's during which most of the Canuck team was vilified in Minnesota (our fans still boo Bertuzzi to this day when we play Detroit). Without going into detail about specific incidents, he earned a reputation as a cheap shot artist in Wild fans' eyes before most of the other teams in the league followed suit.

Personally, I was one that said I'd always hate Cooke until he was out of the league, but I find myself trying to find solace in the positives of today's signing. I like what he can bring as a player as long as his old antics are in the past. He's got a lot of image rebuilding to do in Minnesota and it would probably help if he got involved in the charities, youth hockey programs, etc. in the area. Did he do any of that in Pittsburgh?

Anyway, I think we'd all like this signing a little more if we didn't have our history with him. Hopefully we can learn to love him as much as you guys did. Time heals all wounds, right?

You'll probably get over it after about a half a season of him busting his ass every shift, picking up all his defensive assignments, chipping in the occasional goal, finishing every check and doing a great job on the PK.

I didn't, but most people in Pittsburgh did.

 

[dueling mullets]

Hey guys, Wild fan here.

Wanted to clarify the hate that a lot of Wild fans have for Cooke. We ran into him a lot during our mini-feud with Vancouver in the mid-2000's during which most of the Canuck team was vilified in Minnesota (our fans still boo Bertuzzi to this day when we play Detroit). Without going into detail about specific incidents, he earned a reputation as a cheap shot artist in Wild fans' eyes before most of the other teams in the league followed suit.

Personally, I was one that said I'd always hate Cooke until he was out of the league, but I find myself trying to find solace in the positives of today's signing. I like what he can bring as a player as long as his old antics are in the past. He's got a lot of image rebuilding to do in Minnesota and it would probably help if he got involved in the charities, youth hockey programs, etc. in the area. Did he do any of that in Pittsburgh?

Anyway, I think we'd all like this signing a little more if we didn't have our history with him. Hopefully we can learn to love him as much as you guys did. Time heals all wounds, right?

Guy used to punish people for forgetting what their pee-wee coach taught them: "keep your head on a swivel." Sure, it was dirty, but I loved it. I don't mind other players in the NHL, and other leagues such as the NFL, that play this way: an enforcer ruining people's careers for forgetting a fundamental taught in elementary school. To me, a dive is worse. Alas, he hasn't played like that in over two years, and was one of the few people left on the Pens that played with heart. In fact, don't even expect him to agitate, fight, or try to deliver big hits. Don't hate a player because you don't watch him play for two years and get caught in the hive-mind.

 

[Tender Rip]

Cooke will definitely be missed on the ice. Less so the extracurricular. Wanted him retained, but all the best to him. We definitely are short if someone playing edgy hockey now.

 

[Ogrezilla]

 

[BHD]

Bob Errey ‏@ExcitedBobErrey 11h
RIP "Well the Penguins employ Matt Cooke" argument

2008-2013

 

[Vujtek]

Good luck to Cooke in Minnesota. Wild got a great 3rd liner in Cooke.

 

[mrzeigler]

I once got a flat tire when I swerved onto to berm of a road to avoid hitting a wounded opossum. Matt Cooke not only stopped and changed my tire (giving me HIS full-sized spare), he fashioned a tourniquet from a T-shirt he had in his hockey bag and rushed that poor, beautiful, misunderstood marsupial to a veterinarian, who nursed it back to life.

That marsupial went on to find the cure for cancer.

Thank you, Matt Cooke. The world can never repay you for your service.

 

[lastcupever75]

Miss ya cookie

One of the softer teams in the league just got even more softer. Get ready for no hitter games