Penguins' Matt Cooke almost has as many points (38) as penalty minutes (40), a stark contrast from years past. He also was named the Penguins nominee for the Bill Masterson Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)
Matt Cooke has never been shy about showing people that he's missing a front tooth. A smile always has come easy to him, even in his previous life as an NHL bad boy.
Sure, sometimes it was a mischievous grin. Sometimes it was a smirk. But Cooke has always enjoyed being smack in the middle of things, whether on the ice or in on a dressing room prank, and he liked to let people know he was enjoying the moment.
These days, the 33-year-old Cooke has plenty to smile about. A year after hitting rock bottom with a 10-game suspension that also forced him to miss the playoffs, he now has a healthy on-ice mindset and, more importantly, away from the rink his wife Michelle's health has been restored to 100 per cent.
Last January, Michelle was hospitalized for close to two weeks to have a large mass removed from her lung. Cooke was with the Penguins in Montreal when she was first taken to hospital in Pittsburgh, and it wasn't until Mar. 20, when Cooke's hockey life came crashing down that she was cleared to attend any of her husband's games.
These were difficult times for Cooke, especially with two young children at home and no family living in the area.
"In no way am I trying to make excuses for what happened," Cooke said. "This sort of thing happens to a lot of people. It was a tough time, but we got through it. I was responsible for my actions."
It was his flying elbow on Mar. 20 to the kisser of New York Rangers defenceman Ryan McDonagh that complicated Cooke's life even more. He did not stop for a seat in the penalty box after that incident. Instead, he was directed toward the Penguins dressing room.
As he took a couple steps down the tunnel, Cooke glanced over his right shoulder back at the ice surface and looked fearful.
Big-time trouble
He knew, everybody knew, he was in big-time trouble. Six weeks earlier, he smashed Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Fedor Tyutin from behind into the end boards and was given a four-game suspension. This incident happened 11 months after his devastating blindside hit on Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard.
Truth be told, though, Cooke already was trying to change his ways before he was suspended for the rest of the season after the elbow on McDonagh.
He just wasn't going about it the right way.
"Last season, I was trying to make changes," Cooke said. "Then the last hit happened and I made a realization that it didn't matter how hard I tried it wasn't working and that I needed to change my approach. I needed to retrain my brain."
Unlike the other times, Cooke was remorseful after the McDonagh hit. He had conversations with Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and general manager Ray Shero. There also was plenty of time spent in the video room, more than 30 hours Cooke estimates.
He watched his own play, entire Penguins games and studied the way hard-rock players he admired like Rangers captain Ryan Callahan and New Jersey Devils David Clarkson play the game. He watched their tendencies, how they played on the edge, but never went over like Cooke had done in his career.
"As soon as the suspension happened I had a conversation with Ray," Cooke said. "He told me that he supported me and that he trusted me that we were going to get through this. At that point, he knew that my mind was in the right spot. He believed in me.
"I started right away to show him I was serious. When I was suspended the last 10 games of the regular season and the playoffs I was preparing to be able to come back and play and be an effective player and be a changed player in the second round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, we didn't get there."
Cooke waited five months to exhibit his reformed ways. It really has been a remarkable transformation. He almost has as many points (38) as penalty minutes (40). He has scored a career-high 19 goals and was named the Penguins nominee for the Bill Masterson Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
"All the way around it's been a terrific year for him," said Penguins television analyst Bob Errey, also a former Penguins forward. "He realized situations that he could no longer get involved in. He's stayed away from the extra-curricular stuff, and the result has been he's had a career year goal-scoring wise.
"There was a question if he could survive in the league. This didn't happen overnight. But I think 25-30 games he started to play a little more physical, getting his nose a little dirtier and he's been rewarded."
Tim Wharnsby
Tim's worked the sports beat at The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Sun, specializing in Canada's one true sporting obsession - hockey. He knows the players, the coaches, the backroom boys and most importantly, the fans. That's what he brings to his stories. Knowledge, fairness and understanding are trademarks of a Wharnsby story. That's what you will get here as he writes for CBCSports.ca.
