From  The Globe and Mail

“There's no question teammates had to fight battles he started,” said Brad May, a retired enforcer who played with Cooke on the Canucks. “That was uncomfortable for us at times but, and this is a big but, having a teammate like Matt Cooke made me more money and made me a more valuable teammate.”

May knows Cooke will never win the Lady Byng Trophy but he thinks he can change his game enough to survive.

“Matt Cooke is not stupid,” May said. “I know it's awfully difficult to change your ways. But he's got a good enough skill set, he's not just an idiot out there, he can play. He can play close to that same edge and be a real impact player.”