Tuesday, February 26, 2008
An Unsung Hero
A little more than a month ago, I raised enough money for the BC Children's Hospital Skate for a Cure and had a chance to meet a Canucks player and get a picture taken with him. When I got to GM Place, I asked one of the arena hosts which player was there and he responded, "The two players that do the most community work around here - Trevor Linden and Matt Cooke."
In the last couple of years, Matt Cooke had a bit of falling out with Canucks fans, but it wasn't always that way. The Canucks drafted him in the 6th round (144th overall) in the 1997 Entry Draft. He made his Canucks debut the year after and immediately became a fan favorite due to his rambunctious style. Canucks fans voted him as the team's Unsung Hero in 2003.
For whatever reason, Cookie's style didn't mesh well with Alain Vigneault's system. Under Marc Crawford, he knew his role - the shit disturber - and played it well. Under Vigneault, quite simply, he looked lost at times. He was okay but he wasn't the same, and today, the team that drafted him and the only team that he had ever played for traded him to the Washington Capitals.
Cooke was one of my favorite players. I have one signed Canucks jersey and it's his signature on it. I love his all-out style. I'm sure you've heard me say this before but I always thought he bled Canucks blue and left everything on the ice. Unlike his critics, I've never perceived him to be a dirty player. Yappy and annoying and always playing on the edge maybe, but definitely not dirty.
He was clutch. I'm sure you'll remember the following couple of videos, both of which are now part of Canucks lore. Both games were in the playoffs, and in both, the Canucks needed a late goal; Matt Cooke delivered.
Off the ice, Cooke is as good people as good people come. A couple of years ago, he started the Cooke Family Foundation of Hope.
I'm glad I met the Cookie Monster that day. I'm gonna miss him, though I'm sure many others will as well. If not on the ice, then definitely off it.
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
In the last couple of years, Matt Cooke had a bit of falling out with Canucks fans, but it wasn't always that way. The Canucks drafted him in the 6th round (144th overall) in the 1997 Entry Draft. He made his Canucks debut the year after and immediately became a fan favorite due to his rambunctious style. Canucks fans voted him as the team's Unsung Hero in 2003.
For whatever reason, Cookie's style didn't mesh well with Alain Vigneault's system. Under Marc Crawford, he knew his role - the shit disturber - and played it well. Under Vigneault, quite simply, he looked lost at times. He was okay but he wasn't the same, and today, the team that drafted him and the only team that he had ever played for traded him to the Washington Capitals.
Cooke was one of my favorite players. I have one signed Canucks jersey and it's his signature on it. I love his all-out style. I'm sure you've heard me say this before but I always thought he bled Canucks blue and left everything on the ice. Unlike his critics, I've never perceived him to be a dirty player. Yappy and annoying and always playing on the edge maybe, but definitely not dirty.
He was clutch. I'm sure you'll remember the following couple of videos, both of which are now part of Canucks lore. Both games were in the playoffs, and in both, the Canucks needed a late goal; Matt Cooke delivered.
Off the ice, Cooke is as good people as good people come. A couple of years ago, he started the Cooke Family Foundation of Hope.
The Cooke Family Foundation of Hope was brought to life in 2006 by Michelle and her husband, Canuck left winger Matt Cooke. The couple both grew up in small towns where the values of sharing with neighbours and helping out in the community were deeply ingrained.At the Skate for a Cure, I actually drew Trevor Linden's name but switched with someone so I could meet Cooke instead. (I had met Trevor before at other fundraisers.) The picture below was the picture taken that day.
Since moving to Vancouver, the Cookes have always been drawn to social issues and community work and, along with other Canuck families, are still involved in the annual Canucks Dice & Ice Event, The Province Empty Stocking Fund, The Children's Heart Network, JDRF, The Michael Cuccione Foundation, as well as frequent visitors to Canuck Place (a hospice for terminally ill children) and B.C. Children's Hospital. Since the 2006 season opener, the Foundation has purchased a suite at the Vancouver Giants games and donate evenings there to deserving children from various community charities throughout the Lower Mainland.
I'm glad I met the Cookie Monster that day. I'm gonna miss him, though I'm sure many others will as well. If not on the ice, then definitely off it.
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
Labels: Cooke
Monday, February 25, 2008
Monday Morning Surfing
Here are some of today's quick links. As can be expected, there's a lot of trade chatter going on.
And on a quick programming note, I'll be liveblogging tomorrow's trade deadline day. Make sure you come by and join in the hijinks.
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Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
- How a few wins can change your outlook on life. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province; Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun)
- Bring on Brad. (Vancouver Province)
- Matt Cookie the mentor. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Isbister's been around but I think he's sticking around this year. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
And on a quick programming note, I'll be liveblogging tomorrow's trade deadline day. Make sure you come by and join in the hijinks.
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Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
Labels: Cooke, Isbister, trade talk
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Game Day Post: Canucks at Blackhawks
Hopefully, the Canucks found their legs somewhere between Minnesota and Chicago. The team, pretty much a no-show on Sunday, gets back at it tonight against the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks are still pissed off. First, the Canucks shut them out a week and a half ago - the first of Roberto Luongo's three straight shutouts - but also, they're still pissed off at Matt Cooke's hit on James Wisniewski (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun):
Wisniewski insists he won't be running around looking for revenge (Len Ziehm, Chicago Sun-Times):
By the way, have you seen the standings going into tonight's game? Not only are the Blackhawks tied with the Canucks with identical 14-10-2 records and 30 points, but also, statistically, they're so much better than they were last year:
The Canucks are 14-2-1 against the Blackhawks since 2002. They've only lost once to them since the lockout season but you gotta think it's getting harder for them to get those W's.
More previews from the MSM:
The Blackhawks are still pissed off. First, the Canucks shut them out a week and a half ago - the first of Roberto Luongo's three straight shutouts - but also, they're still pissed off at Matt Cooke's hit on James Wisniewski (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun):
"The puck was spinning, I went to pick it up, it went in my feet and I looked down and I was close to the boards and I chipped it out and never saw him," he said. "I just remember hitting the glass.Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember seeing that hit and thinking it was a good one. I remember Wisniewski getting hurt but I don't remember it being a hit from behind. As far I saw, he had the puck by the boards and Cookie got him with a shoulder.
"I think some people might have a little more respect when guys are in vulnerable spots ... My back was turned a little bit, I was close to the glass, he could have eased up a little bit. I don't know if there's any reason to try and hurt guys."
Wisniewski insists he won't be running around looking for revenge (Len Ziehm, Chicago Sun-Times):
"I'm not looking to do anything, but I'm not going to pass up on a hit,'' he said after practice Tuesday. ''I might have a clean hit and do what I'd do to any other guy -- but I might put a little more effort into it.''Cookie might want to keep his head up.
By the way, have you seen the standings going into tonight's game? Not only are the Blackhawks tied with the Canucks with identical 14-10-2 records and 30 points, but also, statistically, they're so much better than they were last year:
- Goals scored this season: 2.96 per game (8th in NHL); last season: 2.38 (29th)
- Goals against this season: 2.73 per game (14th); last season: 3.06 (23rd)
- Powerplay percentage: 19.8% (9th); last season: 11.8% (30th)
- Penalty-killing percentage: 84.2% (11th); last season: 82.6% (15th)
The Canucks are 14-2-1 against the Blackhawks since 2002. They've only lost once to them since the lockout season but you gotta think it's getting harder for them to get those W's.
More previews from the MSM:
- Rock 'em, sock 'em Cookie (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Undefeated Sanford scheduled to play today or Thursday (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Time to start pulling away (Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune)
- Crowding Luongo Hawks' strategy (Tim Sassone, Daily Herald)
- For Hawks' offense, risks bring rewards (Tim Sassone, Daily Herald)
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
Labels: Blackhawks, Cooke, game day preview
Monday, October 15, 2007
Game Day Post: Sharks at Canucks
Including the preseason, the Canucks have yet to win a game against a non-Alberta-based team so I'm not sure what to expect when they face the San Jose Sharks tonight. See, the last time the Sharks were here, they built a 3-0 first period lead and pretty much coasted to a 3-1 win. They were that good (and the Canucks were that bad). Of course, the Canucks played much better against Edmonton this weekend and the hope is that they have finally shaken off any remaining off-season rust.
My keys to the game:
Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
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My keys to the game:
- Stop Joe Thornton.
- Score early on Evgeni Nabokov.
- Buy Jeremy Roenick a lap dance at Brandy's.
- Luongo his old reliable self against Edmonton. (Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail)
- San Jose presents a tough test for Canucks. (Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun)
- Nobody said losing was easy. (Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun)
- Cooke quiet after scratch. (Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun)
- Mitchell plays waiting game. (Gordon McIntyre, Vancouver Province)
- Cooke feeling heat for lacklustre start. (Ben Kuzma, Vancovuer Province)
- Sharks aim to go one better. (Gordon McIntyre, Vancouver Province)
Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
Labels: Cooke, game day preview, Luongo, Sharks
Thursday, September 13, 2007
One More Kick At The Can
Every season is an important season for any player, but for a few members of the Canucks organization, this could be a more important one. Tommy (Larscheid) and Trev and Matty (Cooke) and Markus and Mo could be playing their final games as Vancouver Canucks (Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail).
These are some of the longest-serving guys in the organization. (Matty Ohlund too but he's got one year left on his contract.) Except for a few years in the early 80's, Tommy has been broadcasting Canucks games since 1977 (wiki). Trev is entering his 16th season in a Canucks uni; Markus his 11th; Cookie his 9th; and Mo his 7th. None of them are signed past this season.
It will be the end of another era when these guys leave the organization. They formed a large part of the team's core and identity when Ronning, Courtnall, Gelinas and McLean left in the late 90's. After this season, surely another group of players will do the same, and in fact, we are already seeing guys like Willie Mitchell, Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler take on more visible roles.
More importantly, if this is indeed these guys' final season, then it will also be their last opportunity to be the ones to bring the Stanley Cup to Vancouver. Part of the reason we remember the Ronnings and McLeans of the team's history so fondly is because of '94 Stanley Cup run. As good and as lovable as these guys have been, they haven't had nearly the same amount of success. Linden was of course part of the '94 run, but unfortunately for Naslund and the others, their tenure with the team may be defined by the fact that the Canucks have only won two playoff series since they came on board.
This could be their one, final chance to change that.
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Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
Labels: Cooke, Larscheid, Linden, Morrison, Naslund, training camp 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Round 1 Game 2: Less Than Seven Periods Please
Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. The game one win was nice, and the Canucks, who now have a 1-0 series lead, can hopefully maintain their home ice advantage and win game 2 as well. Hopefully, they won't need seven periods to do so.
When they take the ice tonight, the Canucks will be missing Ryan Kesler, Matty Cooke and Alex Burrows.
Here are more preview pieces on tonight's game:
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Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks, Dallas+Stars
When they take the ice tonight, the Canucks will be missing Ryan Kesler, Matty Cooke and Alex Burrows.
The playoffs often become a war of attrition and just one game into the NHL post-season, the Vancouver Canucks have had to call for reinforcements.In their place in the lineup: Tommi Santala, Nathan Smith and Jannik Hansen. The Canucks recalled Smith and Hansen yesterday.
The Canucks will be without speedy centre Ryan Kesler and may also be missing high-energy wingers Matt Cooke and Alex Burrows when they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 2 of their Western Conference quarter-final series at General Motors Place.
Here are more preview pieces on tonight's game:
- Luongo finally takes a short break. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Cooke, Burrows festering in sick bay. (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
- Unfazed Turco aims for better next encounter. (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
- Learning experience for defence's Bieksa. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Hard to fathom game 1 thriller. (Ed Willes, Vancouver Province)
- Fun night but it's time to rething playoff OT. (Tony Gallagher, Vancouver Province)
- Nourishment, rehydration part of long game plan. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Fired up Canucks captain soldiering on. (Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun)
- Sudden death? Players love it. (Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun)
- Sopel's heard enough cracker jokes. (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun)
- NHL players drawn to lure of overtime. (Jim Morris, Canadian Press via Ottawa Citizen)
- Hrudey knows goalies' OT pain. (Eric Duhatschek, Globe and Mail)
- Luongo's playoff debut a 2-for-1 special. (Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail)
- Pepper Luongo and Stars taste victory. (Jean-Jacques Taylor, Dallas Morning News)
- Health already an issue in series. (Kate Hairopoulos, Dallas Morning News)
- Stars pull another shift on off-day. (Mike Heika, Dallas Morning News)
- 'Big Four' need to make more of a difference. (Jennifer Floyd Engel, DFW Star-Telegram)
- Loss disappointing but not crushing, Stars say. (Tracey Myers, DFW Star-Telegram)
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Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks, Dallas+Stars
Labels: Believe In Blue, Cooke, game day preview, Luongo, Stars, Turco
Monday, February 19, 2007
Avalanche 4 Canucks 5
For only the fourth time during this 17-3-3 post-Christmas run they're on, the Canucks allowed four or more goals to an opponent. Last night, they were outshot - the 16th time in their last 23 games they've been outshot - and outplayed by a Colorado Avalanche team that played in Calgary the night before. But like everything that is seemingly going right in the Canucks' favor right now, the Canucks won 5-4 anyway and put a pretty big nail to the Avalanche's playoff coffin.
With last night's win, the Avs and the Edmonton Oilers have to play almost perfect hockey the rest of the way to even have a sniff at making the playoffs. Consider this: even if the Canucks play to a .500 record in their remaining 23 games, the Avs and the Oilers have to win 18 of their remaining 23 games to pass them.
Last night, it was the offense to the rescue. More specifically, it was Brendan Morrison, Matty Cooke and Trevor Linden to the rescue.
Now, if they can only find some regular linemates for Naslund.
More from the Mainstream
Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
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Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks, Colorado+Avalanche
With last night's win, the Avs and the Edmonton Oilers have to play almost perfect hockey the rest of the way to even have a sniff at making the playoffs. Consider this: even if the Canucks play to a .500 record in their remaining 23 games, the Avs and the Oilers have to win 18 of their remaining 23 games to pass them.
Last night, it was the offense to the rescue. More specifically, it was Brendan Morrison, Matty Cooke and Trevor Linden to the rescue.
With linemate Trevor Linden hitting the 1,300 plateau for career NHL games -- only six active skaters have logged more -- it was as if Cooke sensed the moment in a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.Morrison, especially, seems to have shaken off any effects from his off-season hip surgery and was again one of the team's better players.
Cooke scored once and set up two goals by linemate Brendan Morrison as the Vancouver Canucks strengthened their grip on the Northwest Division lead. The three-point effort matches a career high for Cooke, who was quick to give a motivational assist to Linden.
Brendan Morrison surely heard the scuttlebutt about how the Vancouver Canucks desperately needed another centre and why they should have sacrificed him in a trade when Peter Forsberg was on the market.Morrison now has 13 points (5G-8A) in 12 games, including seven points in his last four games.
Morrison had an answer for those so-called experts last night when the 31-year-old local product had one of his strongest games of the season, scoring twice and assisting on another goal as the Canucks beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 in an old-fashioned shootout.
Now, if they can only find some regular linemates for Naslund.
More from the Mainstream
- Brandon Reid was sent down prior to the game; Tommi Santala was called back up. - Elliott Pap (Vancouver Sun), Ben Kuzma (Vancouver Province)
- Scoring four goals on the road does not always equal a road win. - Elliott Pap (Vancouver Sun)
- Another Hart-to-Hart talk. - Ed Willes (Vancouver Province)
- Some talk from the Colorado side of things. - Terry Frei (Denver Post)
About the game around the blogosphere
- Mike the Yankee Canuck drunk liveblogged the game. Make sure you swing by and check out the damage.
- Waiting For Stanley and Canucks Fangirl also have their respective recaps.
My 3 Stars of the Game
- Brendan Morrison (VAN): One goal, one assist and one of his best overall performances this season.
- Matt Cooke (VAN): Tied his career-high of three points and dished out six (recorded) hits for good measure.
- Andrew Brunette (COL): Two goals in a losing cause.
Official Statistics
Next GameTuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks, Colorado+Avalanche
Labels: Avalanche, Cooke, game recap, Morrison
