Cherry, on his “Coach’s Corner” segment of Hockey Night In Canada, said that Cooke should have been suspended not only for the questionable hit itself but because of the lasting impact of allowing such hits in the league.
“For him not to have a suspension is beyond me,” Cherry yelled. “If they don’t do this now and say head shots from here on in [are banned], it’s open season, because then you cannot suspend anyone for the rest of the season. They should make it a rule next week.”
Cherry also noted that Bill Guerin‘s disapproval of the hit spoke volumes.
“When one of your own [teammates], Guerin, who’s been in the league for [18 years], criticizes him, you know something’s wrong. And I cannot believe he’s not suspended. I would’ve given him 10 games.”
The show also compiled a highlight reel of sorts, spotlighting a montage of knee-to-knee hits and head shots from Cooke throughout his career.
Criticizing Cooke is nothing new for Cherry, but he said that when he met Cooke face-to-face, the former coach stood his ground.
“I met him in the hall … or he met me in the hall,” Cherry explained. “And he said to me, ‘Are you going to have the guts to say to my face what you say on TV?’
“And I said to him, ‘Yeah,’ about six inches from his face. ‘You’re a gutless, backstabbing little … ‘ And I can’t say what I called him.”
The video below is worth watching for the Cooke montage, but Cherry’s four-minute rant is well worth the time.
