Cook was an original member of the New York Rangers. He earned the nickname "Bun" during 1926-27, the Rangers' first season in the NHL, when a sportswriter described Cook as "quick as a bunny."
The native of Kingston, Ontario, played 10 seasons with the Rangers (1926-36) before finishing his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in 1936-37. He and older brother Bill Cook combined with center Frank Boucher to form "The Bread Line," one of the first NHL lines to get its own nickname. Bun Cook finished his NHL career with 304 points (158 goals, 146 assists) in 477 regular-season games and 18 points (15 goals, three assists) in 46 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He helped the Rangers win the Cup in 1928 and 1933.
Cook was an original member of the New York Rangers. He earned the nickname "Bun" during 1926-27, the Rangers' first season in the NHL, when a sportswriter described Cook as "quick as a bunny."
The native of Kingston, Ontario, played 10 seasons with the Rangers (1926-36) before finishing his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in 1936-37. He and older brother Bill Cook combined with center Frank Boucher to form "The Bread Line," one of the first NHL lines to get its own nickname. Bun Cook finished his NHL career with 304 points (158 goals, 146 assists) in 477 regular-season games and 18 points (15 goals, three assists) in 46 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He helped the Rangers win the Cup in 1928 and 1933.
Cook assisted on the first goal in Rangers history when his brother scored to give New York a 1-0 victory against the Montreal Maroons at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 1926. His best offensive season came in 1929-30, when he had NHL career highs of 24 goals and 42 points. He scored 22 goals in 1932-33, then had two more in the playoffs to help New York win its second championship.
After leaving the NHL, Cook became a player-coach for Providence of the International-American Hockey League in 1937 and won a Calder Cup championship in his first season. He won again with Providence in 1939-40 and coached there for three seasons before leaving for Cleveland of the renamed American Hockey League after the 1942-43 season.
Cleveland won six division titles and three Calder Cup championships (1945, 1948, 1951) in Cook's first nine seasons as coach, then won the Calder Cup in back-to-back seasons with Cook as coach in 1953 and 1954. He also guided Cleveland to the Calder Cup Finals in his last season as coach in 1956. His seven Calder Cup championships are more than anyone in AHL history.
Despite Cleveland's run to the Finals, Cook was relieved after the 1955-56 season. He coached Sault Ste. Marie of the Northern Ontario Hockey League for one season (1956-57), then returned home to coach Kingston of the Eastern Professional Hockey League before retiring in 1961.
Cook died on March 19, 1988. He joined his brother in the Hockey Hall of Fame when he was inducted posthumously in 1995, and was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2007.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- NHL Second All-Star Team (1931)
- Signed as a free agent by Saskatoon (WCHL), September 20, 1924.
- Traded to NY Rangers by Saskatoon (WHL) for cash, October 18, 1926.
- Traded to Boston by NY Rangers for cash, September 10, 1936.
- Served as playing-coach for Providence (AHL), 1937-1943.