Cooke's playing style earned him the reputation as one of the NHL's "pests". During his NHL career, Cooke was criticized and often suspended for hits, some involving head-shots, or knee-on-knee collisions that have injured opposing players. Most notable was a hit to the head of Marc Savard, which was an important factor influencing NHL rule changes intended to deter such conduct. Years later, during a lawsuit against the league, an email produced during the litigation from the then-disciplinarian Colin Campbell revealed that he—an NHL executive—blamed Savard for keeping his head down. However, other commentators disagree and condemn the hit. Of note, CBC host and former head coach Don Cherry has been consistently and effectively critical of Cooke, personally, and has faulted the NHL for not responding appropriately to Cooke's intents to render opposing players unable to play over the years. After his longest suspension in 2011, Cooke pledged to change his style of play, although he had another lengthy suspension in the 2014 playoffs for a knee-on-knee hit delivered to Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche. Although he is no longer a member of the Vancouver Canucks' organization, he is still active in the Vancouver community with his wife.