Penguins forward Matt Cooke has been suspended for the remainder of the regular season and first round of the playoffs by the NHL after elbowing Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers in the head during Sunday’s game.
Cooke will miss the remaining 10 games of the regular season and a minimum of four postseason contests. He will lose $219,521 in salary.
The ruling followed a meeting between Cooke and NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell at the league office in Toronto on Monday.
It’s Cooke’s fifth suspension and the fourth since joining the Penguins as a free agent in 2008.
The NHL released a statement regarding Cooke’s suspension:
“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. “This isn’t the first time this season that we have had to address dangerous behavior on the ice by Mr. Cooke, and his conduct requires an appropriately harsh response.”
Penguins owner Mario Lemiuex recently came out publically against head shots and apparently the NHL listened by levying a strict suspension against his forward.
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