EL1 Altoona Curve

Penguins' Forward Matt Cooke to Appear at Altoona Curve Game

Published on May 24, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Matt Cooke will sign autographs for 90 minutes and shoot the ceremonial "first puck" at Blair County Ballpark on Monday, August 22 when the Altoona Curve face the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Curve announced today.

Cooke has been an integral part of the Penguins' recent success since joining the franchise as a free agent in the summer of 2008. In his first season with Pittsburgh, Cooke tallied 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) - the third-highest total in his 13-year career - in the regular season and another seven in the playoffs in helping the team win the 2009 Stanley Cup championship.

Often used to shadow the opposition's top forwards with his defensive-minded style, Cooke followed up the 2008-09 campaign by scoring 30 points in each of the last two seasons - achieving that total in just 67 games during the recently-completed 2010-11 schedule. In each of his three seasons in Pittsburgh, the Penguins have made the playoffs. Cooke scored four goals and two assists in 2010 post-season - including the game-tying goal in the third period of Pittsburgh's 4-3 overtime victory over Ottawa in Game Six of the First Round series. The win clinched the series and sent the Penguins to the Second Round.

"We think Penguins' fans will be excited to meet Matt Cooke at the ballpark this August," said Curve General Manager Rob Egan. "Last year's appearance by Pascal Dupuis was very popular and we're really looking forward to having another Stanley Cup champion in Altoona as hockey fans start gearing up for the 2011-12 season."

Cooke's appearance is being sponsored by the Altoona Trackers, Kennametal, Advanced Chiropractic, and WTAJ-TV.

Cooke, 32, has played all or parts of 12 seasons in the National Hockey League - the first nine with the Vancouver Canucks, the team that selected him in the sixth round of the 1997 draft. While with the Canucks, he scored 30 or more points three times - including a career-high 42 (15 goals, 27 assists) in 2003. One of the most dramatic moments in Cooke's career occurred in the 2004 playoffs, when he scored the game-tying goal with five seconds left in the third period of Game 7 of the Canucks' First Round series against Calgary.

Fans wishing to secure tickets for the August 22 Curve game at which Cooke will appear, may call toll-free at 877-99-CURVE, purchase online at www.altoonacurve.com, or stop by the Blair County Ballpark ticket office.

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