Isn't that something? Uber Hack and disgusting life form Matt Cooke is best know for being a major league hack and cheap shotting Marc Savard with his dirty hit last March. Cooke is known for going after the little guys and skilled players and usually doesn't want anything to do with the heavy weights. Now, hopefully Cooke starts paying for his transgressions on the ice.
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins and left wing Matt Cooke have reportedly agreed to terms on a three-year contract.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Tuesday that both sides agreed to the deal on Monday and that it will be made official once the NHL gives its approval.
Cooke could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He has spent the past two seasons with the Penguins, posting 28 goals with 33 assists for 61 points.
The 31-year-old veteran has also played for Vancouver and Washington in 11 NHL seasons. He has 114 goals and 157 assists for 271 points in 738 games.
Cooke may be best-known for a hit he put on Boston's Marc Savard on March 7. Savard suffered a concussion on the play and did not return until the second round of the playoffs.
There was no penalty called on the play, but Cooke's shoulder hit to the head prompted the NHL to craft a new rules proposal regarding hits to the head area. A five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct has been proposed to any player who delivers a lateral, back-pressure or blind-side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted. [TSN.COM]
Lovin that video.
ReplyDeleteAs for him re-signing with Pittsburgh, great. I was worried that he'd sign with a team that is respectable.... such as the Red Wings or Devils. He wouldn't sign with the Hawks. They (thankfully perhaps) don't have the money.
However, I'll be fair to the guy. Cooke's game is going to change next year thanks to the Cooke Rule. His game will go in one of two ways:
1. He'll spend a lot of time in the box or in the press box serving suspensions
2. He'll stop hitting people entirely and be basically ineffective. Just like Bertuzzi for quite a while after being reinstated. The only difference is that Bertuzzi could score before his incredibly stupid hit (a hit that will bar him from ANY HOF consideration for sure and deservedly so). Cooke was only successful because of the fear factor. Not because of his physicality, but rather because anyone coming near him was liable to lose some teeth or, in Savard's case, lose all memory of the hit and spend considerable time in medical supervision.
He's not what this sport is about.
The Wild might want to re-sign Boogaard now just for any games against Pittsburgh. Train him as a D-man and put him on the ice every time Cooke is on it. Heh.. I'm advocating for a no talent fighter to counter a no talent hack.
As a Penguins fan, I think this is great news. I believe I speak for most if not all Penguins fans when I say that I have a great deal of appreciation for what Matt Cooke brings to the team.
ReplyDeleteFor somebody who idolizes a thug like Derek Boogard to speak disparagingly of Matt Cooke is the ultimate in irony. LOL!!!