Wednesday, April 7, 2010

AJHL Mourns Matt Cook

Press Release

Matt Cook, the Edmonton man whose inspirational story of fighting cancer touched the hearts of friends and strangers, lost his battle early Sunday afternoon.

Matt Cook, 22, was playing Junior A hockey for the Bonnyville Pontiacs when he was diagnosed with cancer.

He was scheduled to play for Canada’s national sledge hockey team at the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver, however, the cancer had grown last fall and he was unable to continue training. AJHL alumnus and gold medallist, Shannon Szabados, who was the first-string goaltender for the Canadian women’s team at the Vancouver Olympics had FLM, “Fight Like Matt,” inscribed on the back of her headgear as a tribute to Cook and raised 5,000 for cancer in his name.

Cook played in the world men’s sledge hockey championships in November 2008 in Prince Edward Island as Canada won the gold medal. He also contributed to Canada’s sweep of the Four Nations tournament at Nagano, Japan, two months later.

Matt Cook is survived by his parents Don and Lynn, brother Brady and sister Marina.

The AJHL will honour Matt’s memory with a moment of silence prior to tonight’s AJHL playoff game in Fort McMurray, Alberta.


(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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