If there was ever a good time to check someone in the head, Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins picked maybe the worst time to throw a flying elbow this season.
Cooke, a repeat offender in the NHL, nailed Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers with a blindside, headshot, cheap shot, elbow Sunday and a day later he was sitting in the office of Colin Campbell waiting to hear how bad the punishment for his crime would be.
Fortunately McDonagh appeared to be okay following the hit, but when your coach doesn't back you after the game and your team's president and owner have been perhaps the two most vocal about a complete ban of head shots, it doesn't look good for you if you are Matt Cooke.
Cooke can contribute to the Penguins and, although his role is described as a grinder or agitator, his experience in what has become a beat up lineup is crucial.
The Penguins are without superstar Sidney Cosby because of checks to the head and as started this column before the official word from the NHL came out on how many games Cooke would miss, I said I'd be surprised if he is back in the lineup during the Penguins 10 remaining regular season games. Good way to help your team, who are in the middle of the Eastern Conference and still in the chase to catch Philadelphia on top of the conference and battling for home ice advantage in the playoffs.
Cooke's suspension will see him miss the final 10 games of the regular season and the first round of playoffs, meaning the official count will be anywhere from 14 to 17 games and Cooke will be fined $219,512.20.
I went to a rec tournament on the weekend in Outlook and our team motto eventually became "do the bare minimum" after tying our first two games. Perhaps Cooke needs to look at his style of play and think about how he can do as little as possible, or the bare minimum, to hurt his team. Taking a five-minute major, which helped New York rally and take the lead, didn't help in that particular game and now having four Penguin regulars out of the lineup after suffering concussions, Cooke will join them because of a headshot. Who knows if the Penguins will put him back in the lineup if their playoff run goes more than one round or if they will bring him back next season?
For Cooke it is his giving attitude that has him in trouble again and maybe it is something that may jeopardize his career. There appears to be less and less room on NHL rosters for slow, poor skating tough guys, maybe roster spots for those guys who throw cheap shots are becoming more and more limited as well.
Not only was I mad after watching the hit, but that hit applies more screws the Maple Leafs, as the Rangers creep closer to grabbing a playoff spot.
Last week's newsoptimist.ca online poll asked what readers think is the best option to reduce head injuries. The unanimous decision was stricter punishment with 52 per cent of the votes. The other options: smaller shoulder/elbow pads, remove the seamless glass, allow obstruction all had a combined 30 per cent of the votes. The idea that it is part of the game and nothing can be changed earned 19 per cent of the vote.
If the people of the Battlefords had their say, Cooke would be watching from the sidelines for a long time and I doubt the NHL was influenced, but they did jump on this opportunity to make an example of him following recent headshot debates.
A TSN.ca poll had 38,221 votes and 65 per cent of the voters said Cooke should receive 11+ games, 29 per cent said five to 10 games, four per cent said one to four games while two per cent voted for no games. Looks like majority wins and Cooke and the Penguins lose.
We don't make the decision, but people are definitely taking notice of the head shots in sports and are ready for things to change.
"The suspension is warranted because that's exactly the kind of hit we're trying to get out of the game," commented Pittsburgh's general manager Ray Shero after the suspension was issued. "Head shots have no place in hockey. We've told Matt in no uncertain terms that this kind of action on the ice is unacceptable and cannot happen. Head shots must be dealt with severely, and the Pittsburgh Penguins support the NHL in sending this very strong message."
