Cooke: rest of season + 1st round

[joe_baran]

I would have imagined Lemeiux would have told Cooke his shit wouldn't be tolerated at the time he made he now infamous comments on head shots. What is it they say, change starts at home?

I have a feeling that's essentially what they're saying in this statement:

Ray Shero Statement on Matt Cooke Suspension - Pittsburgh Penguins - Features

or for the quick read:

Following is a statement from Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero after the National Hockey League ruled today that Penguins forward Matt Cooke will be suspended for the rest of the regular season (10 games) and the first round of the playoffs:

“The suspension is warranted because that’s exactly the kind of hit we’re trying to get out of the game. 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.”

 

[sherbert1421]

how about, I can't wait to see him back in the pens uniform.

I don't condone that type of hit... it needed to be addressed and it was and I hope Cooke learns from it. Head hunting is not Cooke's game. He just needs to be smarter. But hey, I still like Ward and Harrison (steelers) who both have been guilty of head shots... so maybe it's just me.

i have been hearing this for the past couple years and yet he continues to deliver cheapshots

 

[sherbert1421]

I have a feeling that's essentially what they're saying in this statement:

Ray Shero Statement on Matt Cooke Suspension - Pittsburgh Penguins - Features

or for the quick read:

Following is a statement from Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero after the National Hockey League ruled today that Penguins forward Matt Cooke will be suspended for the rest of the regular season (10 games) and the first round of the playoffs:

“The suspension is warranted because that’s exactly the kind of hit we’re trying to get out of the game. 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.”

actions speak louder than words. when i see that they get rid of cooke, then i will start to believe what he's saying

 

[pixburgher66]

i have been hearing this for the past couple years and yet he continues to deliver cheapshots

I don't think he's ever been sent a message. The blame there falls on many people, and mostly the NHL brass. This hit was the worst he's given. I mean that...did it cause the most damage? No. But it was clearly the worst intended. He threw his elbow up, and all that means is intent to injure IMO.

 

[JustAsking]

i have been hearing this for the past couple years and yet he continues to deliver cheapshots

To avoid any type of confusion, this recent elbow to the head was blatant and awful. I am not defending any of Cooke's actions. however, I can understand where some of them come from. His game is a phyiscal game, first man on puck and finish your check. As a result of finishing your checks, knee on knees happen (on OV, much like OV on Gonchar) or he doesn;t have time to let up from a check... again, I'm not defending or accepting those hits, I am trying to understand. Listening to an interview Rupp gave (Cooke and Rupp similar players, Cooke more talented) and Rupp said something about him lining up a player to hit and thought to himself this could be a hit from behind and pulled up at the last second. Much like James Harrison, I am sure Cooke was taught to play a certain way, he now needs to unlearn some of that behavior. He doesn't need to finish every check.

 

[Jared]

Kudos to the NHL on the suspension.

As far as some of the anti-Pens comments, I get it, they are an easy team to hate. Cooke is also one of the dirtiest, if not THE dirtiest, player in the league right now.

For the Flyers fans and Caps fans who want to all of the sudden take the moral highground, I certainly hope your management talked to your captains after their dirty, reckless plays in the past. Richards delivered a near identical shot to the Cooke/Savard shot a little bit before Cooke's incident. I truly hope that your GM (who I presume is Satan himself[not Miro, the real Satan]) had a heart to heart with Richards and told him this should never happen again.

And for my beloved Caps, I hope OV was taken to task for his knee on knee on Gonchar in the playoffs a few years back.

I in no way apologize for Cooke, and I hope this is his last year as a Penguin. But other teams have some pretty bad characters, too. (For the record, I don't view Richards as dirty) The Wings have Todd Bertuzzi. TODD BERTUZZI, he of the sorry I nearly killed you hit from behind and drive your face into the ice.

OK, sorry, this was a rant, now that I read it. But I'm due for some negative rep anyway.

 

[sherbert1421]

To avoid any type of confusion, this recent elbow to the head was blatant and awful. I am not defending any of Cooke's actions. however, I can understand where some of them come from. His game is a phyiscal game, first man on puck and finish your check. As a result of finishing your checks, knee on knees happen (on OV, much like OV on Gonchar) or he doesn;t have time to let up from a check... again, I'm not defending or accepting those hits, I am trying to understand. Listening to an interview Rupp gave (Cooke and Rupp similar players, Cooke more talented) and Rupp said something about him lining up a player to hit and thought to himself this could be a hit from behind and pulled up at the last second. Much like James Harrison, I am sure Cooke was taught to play a certain way, he now needs to unlearn some of that behavior. He doesn't need to finish every check.

i understand playing physical is part of his game but when i hear things like "hopefully he learns from it" and "he just needs to be smarter" every time after his suspensions i laugh because it appears he never does. i mean he has been suspended 4 times now since he joined the penguins. eventually you have to wonder if he will ever learn to play smarter

 

[elocomotive]

I don't think he's ever been sent a message. The blame there falls on many people, and mostly the NHL brass.

In all the drama of this, let's not lose sight of who the blame should mostly fall on here... Matt Cooke. He's not an 8-year old who has yet to fully grasp the concept of right and wrong.

Regardless of the league's or the ownership's complacency in taking proper measures to remove him from the game or the team, Matt Cooke knows the impact these types of actions can have and carelessly disregards that impact time and again.

Mario, Gary, and Colin have made mistakes, but Cooke is the one who is responsible for his actions. The lion's share of the vitriole should be pointed squarely at him.

 

[IPostedWhat]

C'mon Elo, do you really think anyone told him that throwing an elbow on a defensless player was wrong? He's not a mind reader ya know.

 

[JustAsking]

i understand playing physical is part of his game but when i hear things like "hopefully he learns from it" and "he just needs to be smarter" every time after his suspensions i laugh because it appears he never does. i mean he has been suspended 4 times now since he joined the penguins. eventually you have to wonder if he will ever learn to play smarter

Yep, makes you wonder.

 

[beantownmaniac]

Season + All of playoffs

I agree Tyler, but I'm fine with what they gave him. It does send a clear message.

 

[ritari330]

Kudos to the NHL on the suspension.

As far as some of the anti-Pens comments, I get it, they are an easy team to hate. Cooke is also one of the dirtiest, if not THE dirtiest, player in the league right now.

For the Flyers fans and Caps fans who want to all of the sudden take the moral highground, I certainly hope your management talked to your captains after their dirty, reckless plays in the past. Richards delivered a near identical shot to the Cooke/Savard shot a little bit before Cooke's incident. I truly hope that your GM (who I presume is Satan himself[not Miro, the real Satan]) had a heart to heart with Richards and told him this should never happen again.

And for my beloved Caps, I hope OV was taken to task for his knee on knee on Gonchar in the playoffs a few years back.

I in no way apologize for Cooke, and I hope this is his last year as a Penguin. But other teams have some pretty bad characters, too. (For the record, I don't view Richards as dirty) The Wings have Todd Bertuzzi. TODD BERTUZZI, he of the sorry I nearly killed you hit from behind and drive your face into the ice.

OK, sorry, this was a rant, now that I read it. But I'm due for some negative rep anyway.

I'd like to think someone talked to OV after his kneeings, but even if no one did, he corrected himself. Whether it was GMGM, Gabby, a teammate, or OV himself, he got the hint and didn't continue to go after people

As far as the neg rep, I don't neg rep anyone

 

[pixburgher66]

I think we've all met that person that's scary as hell on the ice/field/court, but once they're off it you kinda sit back and wonder who they are. I tend to think this is Matt Cooke. I think we've also all been there PLAYING where you realize "Oh crap, what was I thinking" (to be fair, that usually doesn't happen this often), it just came from some weird tribal, instinctive, primitive place you didn't know existed. Most of us learned how to contain that...Matt Cooke has not.

 

[IPostedWhat]

I think we've all met that person that's scary as hell on the ice/field/court, but once they're off it you kinda sit back and wonder who they are. I tend to think this is Matt Cooke. I think we've also all been there PLAYING where you realize "Oh crap, what was I thinking" (to be fair, that usually doesn't happen this often), it just came from some weird tribal, instinctive, primitive place you didn't know existed. Most of us learned how to contain that...Matt Cooke has not.

So Matt Cooke is like Bruce Banner?

 

[TheRobotDevil]

To avoid any type of confusion, this recent elbow to the head was blatant and awful. I am not defending any of Cooke's actions. however, I can understand where some of them come from. His game is a phyiscal game, first man on puck and finish your check. As a result of finishing your checks, knee on knees happen (on OV, much like OV on Gonchar) or he doesn;t have time to let up from a check... again, I'm not defending or accepting those hits, I am trying to understand. Listening to an interview Rupp gave (Cooke and Rupp similar players, Cooke more talented) and Rupp said something about him lining up a player to hit and thought to himself this could be a hit from behind and pulled up at the last second. Much like James Harrison, I am sure Cooke was taught to play a certain way, he now needs to unlearn some of that behavior. He doesn't need to finish every check.

Don't know about Cooke being more talented than Rupp.Rupp has A Stanley Cup clinching goal

 

[loki604]

Mario Lemieux is not required to pave the way for getting rid of these types of players. As Mark Madden said, you can be all for the disarmament of nuclear weapons; that doesn't mean you get rid of all of yours and cross your fingers that everyone follows suit. He wanted the LEAGUE to take a stand on these types of hits, not start a bunch of vigilante discipline amongst owners. By all means, I'm glad they suspended Cooke for the length of time they did. The hope is that with league-wide change, the Gillies type players won't look as attractive to teams because of severe penalties and the type of player like Matt Cooke, who can contribute without the other shenanigans, will clean up his act or get the fuck out.

Not saying Lemieux won't move him during the offseason, but people act like he made a statement about cleaning up the Pittsburgh Penguins, when he was talking about the league. What exactly will it do if he gets rid of Matt Cooke? Some other team will employ him and it's not like other teams are going to be so inspired by his example that they will follow suit. He'll win brownie points with a bunch of posters on hockey message boards and blowhards at ESPN. Whoop de fucking do.

Color me surprised - Lemieux gets zero credit for most likely being one of several catalysts for this suspension being so tough, but all everyone wants to do is whine that he's not willing to be the forerunner for getting rid of the agitator in hockey.

 

[elocomotive]

For the Flyers fans and Caps fans who want to all of the sudden take the moral highground, I certainly hope your management talked to your captains after their dirty, reckless plays in the past...

Oh good grief...

 

[TiLoBrown]

Color me surprised - Lemieux gets zero credit for most likely being one of several catalysts for this suspension being so tough, but all everyone wants to do is whine that he's not willing to be the forerunner for getting rid of the agitator in hockey.

I'm not sure how much Mario had to do with the tough suspension. I think it had more to do with this not being Cooke's first suspension this year and the fact that the game was on NBC against the NY market, and how close it was to the GM meetings. It was pretty much a bad storm for Cooke. I'm sure Mario had SOME influence, but not as much as some people may give him.

 

[loki604]

I'm not sure how much Mario had to do with the tough suspension. I think it had more to do with this not being Cooke's first suspension this year and the fact that the game was on NBC against the NY market, and how close it was to the GM meetings. It was pretty much a bad storm for Cooke. I'm sure Mario had SOME influence, but not as much as some people may give him.

Hence I said ONE of the catalysts. Perfect storm, perfect time for the NHL to make a statement to be sure.

But a ton of this hate is misdirected. Cooke is a dirty player, but he's one dirty player in a league that just refused to ban headshots outright.

 

[TiLoBrown]

Hence I said ONE of the catalysts.
.

Yes, yes you did. Thats what I get for speed reading. Sorry bout that.