A unique perspective
Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Matt Cooke is in exclusive company as one of three players who has played on the same NHL team as both Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Kris Beech and Rico Fata are the others.
"Absolutely it's a privilege," Cooke told NHL.com. "Both are absolutely unbelievable people and players."
Cooke was traded to Washington at the deadline last season and signed with Pittsburgh over the summer. He said what intrigues him about the two megastars is that they are unique to one another yet they have the same impact on their respective teams.
"Alex is a guy whose personality is so out there; he loves the fame and the public and he embraces it and that's good for him to be that way," Cooke said. "Sid obviously does it and embraces it and doesn't turn anybody down, but he's a little more introverted. You respect both because of what they accomplish and the best part about it is in the same way they each have the same affect on each of their teams."
Of course, we couldn't let Cooke go without asking him the question every hockey fan constantly debates: Who is better?
"There is not a better," Cooke said. "Obviously I should be saying Sid right now and I think he's just unbelievable. He does something on the ice every game that I can't do at half speed let alone full speed, and that's phenomenal. Alex has his strong points, too. They are both at far ends of the spectrum, but they both accomplish the same things."
-- Dan Rosen
What's on your iPod now? "I have everything from new T-Pain and Akon to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks. It's a lot of fun for me. I like music, so there is a lot of different stuff on there."
What are your favorite web-sites? "Probably the only website I really venture around on a regular basis is hotmail. Obviously I'm on NHL.com, and The Source once in a while, too."
Who would play you in a movie about your life? "Matt Dillon. I have thought about that one before."
Do you eat in, order in or go out? "Most often I cook. It's a passion for me. It's something I enjoy. I make everything from homemade soups, homemade pizza and spaghetti sauce from scratch. Yeah, I did (aspire to be a chef). My grandmother is Ukrainian and she taught me how to cook, so it's fun for me."
Favorite TV show? "Prison Break because of the intrigue of show to show, wanting to watch it again, and the intensity of the show."
Favorite movie? "I would have to saw Shawshank Redemption. It's a classic. It's
either that or Good Will Hunting."
What Hollywood starlette would you go out with? "To be honest with you I'm not that big into stars. It doesn't make you who you are. Obviously there is something about them and yeah they are attractive, but I'm not into it."
Favorite sports team of all time (excluding your team)? "Until they moved to Colorado the Nordiques were my favorite team."
Favorite sports figure of all time (excluding yourself)? "It's changed over the years. There was a period of time when I was real young that it was Wayne Gretzky. As I grew as a player and got a little bit older it was Wendel Clark. I idolized him. Now it's probably guys like Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr."
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