Matt Cooke Number: 24 Position: Centre Shoots: Left Height: 5'11" Weight: 205 lbs
Born: Belleville, ON Date: September 7, 1978 Acquired: Vancouver's 7th choice, 144th overall, in the 1997 Entry Draft. | Personal : Matt and his wife Michelle have two daughters, Gabby and Reece….Spends his summers in Belleville, ON…Lists Canuck Place as his favourite charity…Enjoys the television show Law and Order, and calls Top Gun his favourite movie…Playing for Team Canada is his greatest hockey moment…If he was not a hockey player he says he would collect and sell antiques, or go into business.



Matt Cooke was born September 7, 1978 in Belleville, Ontario. The seventh choice, 144th overall selection of the Vancouver Canucks in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Cooke is a graduate of the OHL. A gritty offensive forward, Cooke played three seasons in the OHL (1995-1998) with stops in Windsor and Kingston. His most productive season came in 1996-97, when he led the Windsor Spitfires in scoring with 95 points (45-50-95) in 65 games. Upon graduating from the OHL, Cooke made his professional debut in 1998-99, splitting his time between the Canucks and their AHL affiliate in Syracuse. After splitting one more season with both clubs, Cooke became a permanent fixture in the Canuck lineup in 2000-01. Over the course of his first three full seasons with the club, Cooke saw his offensive numbers increase each season, including a career best 42 points (15-27-42) in 2002-03. Coming off a career year in 2002-03, Cooke was limited to a mere 53 games in 2003-04. On the international stage, Cooke has represented his homeland at the World Junior Championships and helped them capture gold at the 2004 World Championships.