Colin Campbell's Comparison of Matt Cooke to Mike Richards Does Not Match

[Dr. Strange]

The NHL swung and missed when it had a chance to do the obvious thing? Shocker.

Yet while it was not surprising that the NHL failed on a number of levels by not suspending Matt Cooke, it was the explanation given by league disciplinarian Colin Campbell that still managed to be puzzling.

Campbell said, when announcing that no suspension would be given to Cooke for his hit on Marc Savard, that the hit was essentially the same hit that Mike Richards of the Flyers laid on David Booth of the Panthers earlier this season. That hit did not draw a suspension for Richards, so, Campbell argued, neither should this one for Cooke.

OK.


http://www.nesn.com/2010/03/colin-campbells-comparison-of-matt-cooke-to-mike-richards-does-not-match.html

Interesting comparison of the Richards and Cooke hits. Bottom line, though (IMIAO): the NHL needs to disallow shoulder-to-head hits.

[Upton]

1. Cooke's hit was legal..

it probably won't be next year, but in the meantime it isn't right to suspend a guy for a legal hit. Hockey isn't figure skating..

[Forkboy]

3. Cooke got suspended for a hit that was the exact same thing earlier this year.

Player's get called for penalties on hits like that all the time, and some, Cooke included, have been suspended for them. The NHL blew it.

[Upton]

6. Maybe...

but this most recent hit was by definition legal. I just don't see how the league can suspend Cooke, or any other player for that matter, by either assuming what he was thinking or going by what kind of injury the hit causes...It's either clean as defined by league rules or it's not..

This will be taken care of next time the two teams meet..

Obviously they're going to change the rule on head shots anyway. So, next year we shouldn't be having this conversation...and that's a good thing.

[Forkboy]

2. The NHL blew it on this one.

Not only was it a cheap hit, it's not Cooke's first. They showed three other exactly identical hits he's made in the past that HAVE resulted in suspensions. They whine about wanting cheap shots removed from the game then give a repeat offended a pat of the wrists when he makes one. Fucking dumb.

To people who say they don't like fighting in hockey, this is why it exists. If the league won't look out for the player's safety they can do it themselves. Someone needs to show Cooke the error of his repeated ways before he permanently ends a guy's season or worse, career.

[Dr. Strange]

4. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of fighting in hockey.

But it really does serve a purpose.

[PRETZEL]

5. Hits to the head should be penalized,

no question.

Now how will the NHL refs go about enforcing that rule.

All hits to the head?

Hits to the head not along the boards?

Hits to the head when the skater only has one skate on the ice?

Hits to the head only when the skater is standing upright?

Truthfully, someone from Boston will take a run at either Cooke, Crosby, Staal or Malkin.

No problem if they want to go after Cooke, he's the offender.

But I do think Pittsburgh is aware that everyone else is also a target.