Cooke suspended for cheap elbow on McDonagh (video)

Outside of Pittsburgh, you won’t find too many hockey fans that like Matt Cooke. He has a history of dirty play and it seems that this time the NHL wants to send a message. Cooke threw a completely dirty elbow to the head of New York Rangers defensman Ryan Donagh on Sunday.

The NHL’s response? Suspended for the rest of the season and the first round of the playoffs. The suspension will cost him 10 regular season games and $219,512.20. Ouch.

“Mr. Cooke, a repeat offender, directly and unnecessarily targeted the head of an opponent who was in an unsuspecting and vulnerable position,” said Colin Campbell, the NHL’s senior executive vice president of hockey operations. “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.”

The Penguins response was actually in support of the suspension.

“The suspension is warranted because that’s exactly the kind of hit we’re trying to get out of the game. Head shots have no place in hockey,” said Penguins general manager Ray Shero. “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.”

It’s bad when your own team has to acknowledge, “yeah, that was a dirty damn move by our guy.”

This is Cooke’s fifth suspension and his second this month. Yeah, he’s a douchebag.