[Report] Matt Cooke hired as new coach of Maple Leafs ECHL affiliate Newfoundland Growlers

[RWJC]

Matt Cooke hired as new coach of Maple Leafs ECHL affiliate Newfoundland Growlers

 

Many NHL fans from the 2000s and early 2010s will remember enforcer Matt Cooke, who earned himself many lengthy suspensions over the course of his 16-season, 1,046-game NHL career. After only coaching for a few seasons at the high school level in Minnesota since retiring in 2015, he’s now being entrusted with the head coaching job of an NHL affiliate. The ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, the second-tier affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced today Cooke will be their next head coach. Cooke succeeds Eric Wellwood, who was promoted to an assistant role with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last summer.
 

https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2023/10/snapshots-houston-lafreniere-cooke.html#ref=home

 

 

Ex-Canucks player Matt Cooke named head coach of Leafs minor league team

 

Ex-Vancouver Canucks forward Matt Cooke will be behind the bench of a professional hockey team for the 2023-24 season.

 

On Saturday afternoon, the Toronto Maple Leafs ECHL affiliate Newfoundland Growlers announced that they have hired Cooke as their head coach, making him the fourth in team history.

 

Cooke will take over a team in the Growlers who had plenty of success last season, amassing an Eastern Conference best 48 wins to go with just 22 regulation and two overtime losses. Thanks to the impressive year, Eric Wellwood was recently promoted from head coach of the Growlers to an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.

 

Cooke, who was one of the most criticized players in NHL history due to his reckless style of play, amassed 1046 career games, 566 of which came in a Canucks uniform. The 45-year-old was suspended on numerous occasions throughout his career, and was involved in many other questionable plays which were often deemed intentional due to his lengthy rap sheet.

 

Despite crossing the line on plenty of occasions, Cooke was a good player. He hit the double-digit marker for goals in 11 seasons, and finished his career with 167 goals and 398 points.

 

Though Cooke doesn’t boast much coaching experience, he does bring a winning pedigree to the Growlers. The Belleville, Ontario native was a part of several very good NHL teams, and was able to help the Pittsburgh Penguins win a Stanley Cup in 2009. While this move is being criticized by some fans who didn’t like the way Cooke played the game, he has an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding him if he can prove to be successful in his new venture.

 

Cooke will make his coaching debut on Friday, Oct. 20, when the Growlers will take on the Reading Royals in both their season and home opener.

 

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ex-canucks-player-matt-cooke-named-head-coach-of-leafs-minor-league-team

[Canuck You]

That's going to be one pesky team.

[Miss Korea]

Are we pro-Cooke here?  All the super-dirty elbows and stomps came after he left us.  He is a low-key Canucks legend who could move up and down the lineup.  He seemed to have what it took to be a very solid bottom six player even into his thirties, but he just couldn't help getting himself suspended.

[Tusk]

1 minute ago, Miss Korea said:

Are we pro-Cooke here?  All the super-dirty elbows and stomps came after he left us.  He is a low-key Canucks legend who could move up and down the lineup.  He seemed to have what it took to be a very solid bottom six player even into his thirties, but he just couldn't help getting himself suspended.

um Yep. We need some matt cooke and soucy aint gonna cut it. Stay down soucy, get the pearson medic

[Drakrami]

Burrows and Cooke are coaches... Who woulda thought.... 

[King Heffy]

50 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

Are we pro-Cooke here?  All the super-dirty elbows and stomps came after he left us.  He is a low-key Canucks legend who could move up and down the lineup.  He seemed to have what it took to be a very solid bottom six player even into his thirties, but he just couldn't help getting himself suspended.

Had a tendency to score some clutch goals too.  I liked him as a Canuck a lot; the really dirty stuff came once his skills were declining.

Edited October 8, 2023 by King Heffy

[Kevin Biestra]

1 hour ago, Miss Korea said:

Are we pro-Cooke here?  All the super-dirty elbows and stomps came after he left us.  He is a low-key Canucks legend who could move up and down the lineup.  He seemed to have what it took to be a very solid bottom six player even into his thirties, but he just couldn't help getting himself suspended.

 

His teammates weren't happy with him here.  They were tired of fighting his battles for him on the ice and word was getting around.

[gwarrior]

So he's going to teach them how to head hunt?

[canuck73_3]

Knees in the ECHL are now trembling in fear. 

[canuck73_3]

15 hours ago, Miss Korea said:

Are we pro-Cooke here?  All the super-dirty elbows and stomps came after he left us.  He is a low-key Canucks legend who could move up and down the lineup.  He seemed to have what it took to be a very solid bottom six player even into his thirties, but he just couldn't help getting himself suspended.

Hope not he was a spineless piece of shit too chickenshit to stick up for himself. 
 

At least Torres Kesler and Burr owned their shit

[erkayloomeh]

I don't remember Cooke being dirty until after he left vancouver.

But then, he certainly was.

One form of player I can't stand is dirty.

Messier, pronger, potvin, Clark. 

If you need to be dirty to accomplish success, then you really weren't. 

[CBH1926]

It’s great to see that this piece of shit gets to coach younger generations!

[Jess]

To call him an enforcer is a stretch. He was a pest who knew how to hit like a truck, given his size. Loved him in Vancouver. Hope he's learned from his mistake-ridden career following Vancouver.

[Analyst82]

I loved him when he was in Vancouver however I will never respect him after all the dirty hits that finished some careers.