Justice has been served.
The NHL announced on Monday afternoon that it had suspended Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke for the rest of the regular season and the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for his hit on New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh on Sunday.
The suspension, Cooke's second of the season for a dirty hit, means that he will miss Pittsburgh's final 10 games of the regular season. Add it all up, and Cooke will miss 14-17 games, depending on the length's of Pittsburgh's first-round series.
"Mr. Cooke, a repeat offender, directly and unnecessarily targeted the head of an opponent who was in an unsuspecting and vulnerable position," said NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell in a statement on the league's website. "This isn't the first time we've had to address dangerous behavior on the ice by Mr. Cooke, and his conduct requires an appropriately harsh response."
The Penguins have issued a statement as well. And while it's not from Mario Lemieux, who has defended Cooke in the past, the organization supports the league's decision.
"The suspension is warranted because that's exactly the kind of hit we're trying to get out of the game," Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero said in a statement released by the team. "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."
