The NHL really showed everyone that they were not messing around when the suspended Matt Cooke for 10 games and the 1st round of the playoffs. They showed the players, the fans and the media that if you do something dirty, you are going to sit. We should all applaud the NHL for making a stand here. The league did exactly what they said they would and made an example of Matt Cooke. That is what the fans wanted and that is what was delivered. Finally we saw a message sent!!!! Or did we?
Suspending Matt Cooke for an intentional elbow on a player is a great thing. There is no denying the player is a scumbag on the ice. He has had multiple infractions in the past and not all were called correctly by the NHL. Cooke for several years has been taking liberties with players who have had their backs turned. He may have virtually ended Marc Savard’s career last season with a hit to the head that went unpunished. Yes, Savard came back, but he was still feeling the effects and ultimately had to shut it down for the season. That hit many pundits feel is what opened the door to players taking shots at the head of unsuspecting opponents. It may have, concussions are up this season and many of those hits have come from direct hits to the head or from behind. One has to wonder if Cooke was punished not for that elbow on Ryan McDonaugh Sunday, but for his past discretions. There is no doubt Cooke’s history did play a role in the severity, but it shouldn’t have been as much of a factor as we think. Had the NHL taken a more serious approach to these types of hits in the past, Cooke wouldn’t have thrown that elbow. The harsh punishment came after Cooke has been suspended time and time again for small periods of times. Cooke never cared about his image, he felt that he was invincible on the ice and would never face any retribution. Despite being warned, Cooke never was punished enough to get the message across that he could not play dirty. Now Cooke is sorry, but for what? Are we the fans to believe Cooke is sorry for attempting to hurt players? That he is remorseful for rash of games he caused many of his peers to miss? No fan should be buying that. What Cooke is apologizing for his getting suspended, he is upset because his team put him on notice. The Penguins from ownership on down to the players have told Cooke that he is on his last chance. They no longer have his back and see what he has done as another black eye to the league. The Penguins are the team that took the lead on trying to end the dirty play that has poisoned the NHL this season. It was a huge embarrassment for a member of their own team to be the guy who tested the NHL’s resolve. It’s no wonder Cooke is sorry he is on his last legs and he knows it. If he doesn’t show remorse he will no longer be on the team.
For the league suspending a player like Matt Cooke is easy, he is a repeat offender and is an easy target to use as a poster boy of what not to do. They also took a stand with Trevor Gillies a guy who was called up specifically to be a goon. We are supposed to be impressed by this, but we shouldn’t be. This is nothing but smoke and mirrors. For the NHL to prove that they are taking action is to give a significant suspension to a player who isn’t a repeat offender. To someone who isn’t just a role player. The NHL has dropped the ball too many times a dirty hit has resulted in an injury. Last year Mike Richards took a shot at David Booth’s head and it was a standard hockey play. A few weeks ago Zdeno Chara tried to decapitate Habs player Max Paciorety and being tossed out of a game was punishment enough. Last month Superstar Dany Heatley skated off his natural path and threw an elbow at Steve Ott. Heatley was punished for that infraction with a 2 game suspension. The hit was dangerous, away from the play and a clear intent to injure. After the game Heatley showed no remorse for the hit, yet he still only received 2 games for it. It’s that type of mentality that needs to be changed. The NHL is still protecting its stars from serious retribution. They said since Heatley doesn’t have a history of plays like this, so he shouldn’t be punished as harshly. Then a few weeks later the NHL suspends Raffi Torres for the last few games of the season and first 2 playoff games for a dangerous hit. This is the perfect punishment for the crime, but in compared to what Heater got it seems like a death sentence. This is the inconsistency that needs to change.
How are fans supposed to buy that a player who doesn’t have a history shouldn’t be suspended as long? Earlier this season Dan Paille a role player received 4 games for a hit from behind. This was a very deserving suspension for Paille, who like Heatley had no prior history. Why did Heatley get 2 games and Paille get 4? The answer is simple, the Paille is a guy who averages less than 10 minutes a game and Heatley is a point per game player. The NHL has a history of not punishing its stars. The league looks for a pat on the back when they suspend Matt Cooke, Trevor Gillies or Dan Paille. The NHL wants us to feel like they are policing the game and taking out the bad element. That doesn’t hold water when they are still inconsistent when it comes to its star players. When Chara, Richards and Heatley receive little to no punishment for reckless plays, the NHL proves that it’s who you are not what you do. Until the day we see a lengthy suspension for a dirty play by a superstar, we have to take anything they say with a grain of salt.
