That whole "Matt Cooke hearing on Thursday" thing was apparently inaccurate. His punishment has been handed down by the NHL, according to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet.
"Only four games?!" is the outcry from most. Joe Yerdon of ProHockeyTalk was especially fiesty, saying that it was time for the NHL to take a stand. They haven't done that.
Whether the league comes down hard on Cooke or not (and we're suspecting they won't if the past has taught us anything) we're hoping the point that this brand of disgusting and reckless play can be put to an end. Playing physical and finishing your check is fine and a great part of hockey. When going out of your way to attempt to injure players to do so is when it all goes wrong. If the NHL wants to send that message and give Cooke a stiff punishment, we're all for it. A fine or a slap on the wrist courtesy suspension isn't going to cut it anymore.
It's hard not to agree. After slapping Cooke with those "courtesy suspensions" and fines many, many times, it's clear he's not going to stop with this stuff. Will a four game sit down really change things? Hard to imagine that it will.
At least we know where the NHL stands, though.