So will Mario Lemieux be writing that check to the league this week?

My thoughts? Matt Cooke will get the hammer laid down on him this time. This isn't one of those questionable shoulder to the head type of blindside confusion nonsense that we go through, this was an intentional elbow right to the face of McDonaugh. There is no gray area on this hit, it was an elbow directly to the head, and he should be suspended for it.

It's really getting comical in the NHL, the guys with the "tough guy" reputation are for the most part are staying tamed if you will. Guys like Colton Orr or Daniel Carcillo, sure they've been suspended before, but they will also back themselves up and sort of in a way learn from what happened. In other words, they respect the players around them and know when enough is enough. Matt Cooke is turning into the type of player who is out to injure other players, and try and throw the most physically harmful hit possible without benig disciplined. It's really ashame for the NHL.

As far as Lemeuix goes, honestly, whatever. I have all the respect in the world for the guy, but now, ironically, he's on the direct other end of the spectrum from where he was a month ago. Now it's HIS player that threw a blatant elbow to the head of another player. The bottom line is, through all these questionable hits, Matt Cooke hasn't once been handed a severe suspension, and until he is, my guess is he will continue to throw hits like this.

I don't have much to add since everyone has pretty much mentioned the points I was going to make. I will say, though, that I am anxious to hear Mario's response to this. I wonder if he'll say anything at all, given it was his player this time around. Hypocrite was the first word out of my mouth when he started whining about the Isles game and my first thought was "Oh really? Says the guy who has MATT COOKE on his team."

He loves Cooke, like he loved Ulfie.

Mario is a huge hypocrite, and was one of the biggest whiners this game has ever seen. I grew up watching the guy, I went to the practices back in mt lebanon when Lemieux was hanging over the boards eating cheeseburgers and smoking cigarettes because he was too good to practice. I watched him whine on a nightly basis about **** that other teams would do to him, but then not blink an eye when Samulesson, Stevens and Tocchet were taking runs at people.

Texhabs you are awful at trying to be funny

My guess is that no he won't pay, becuase the "rule" is just an idea. Every team has there dirty players (abeit none as dirty as Cooke) but not many have owners who speak out against dirty play. I think if ANY owner was to speak out against headshots they would be thought of as a hypocrite for employing whoever there teams dirty player is.

I think you hit the nail dead-on. Frankly, I don't know how any hockey executive can openly complain about the extra-curricular stuff that occurs during a game, and like you, I respected the player but have yet to keep that respect alive for the executive.

agree 100%. texhabs just reminded me of the samulesson hit... that was a bad one from a guy who did it all the time....the leauge needs to get serious about protecting its players, maybe since Sid got banged up,....... then again its the NHL.

Sounds like he's going to have to put his money where his mouth is, eh?