Ottawa Senators owner rips Matt Cooke

[pwaldo]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/89...cooke-goon-nhl

A few days have passed since the Ottawa Senators lost defenseman Erik Karlsson for the season due to surgery on his Achilles tendon, which was cut by the skate blade of Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke.

But Senators owner Eugene Melnyk isn't any happier about losing the defending Norris Trophy winner, especially since it involved a player with a history of questionable play.

"To have him taken out by a goon is unconscionable," Melnyk told TSN on Friday. "Whether it was accidental, or whether it was reckless, or whether it was intentional, to me it doesn't matter.

"It's something that never should have happened. This player should never be playing in this league. It's a league for elite players."

Cooke has been suspended five times in his career but has not been disciplined since March 2011, when he was suspended 10 games, plus the first round of the playoffs, for a hit to the head of the New York Rangers' Ryan McDonagh.

Cooke since has said he has changed the way he plays the game, but Melnyk does not believe that.

"I don't buy any of that garbage," Melnyk told TSN. "Five times? No, we're No. 6? How about seven and eight? At what point do you say, 'You know what? Maybe he's not changed.' You do this enough times, don't try to convince me or anybody else. People are way too intelligent. The guy gets suspended five times. That's how many times he's been suspended, never mind how many times he's not been suspended.

"I'm just shocked that that organization employs that type of individual."

The Penguins told ESPN.com on Thursday that they would not defend Cooke if they thought his was a dirty play.

[centrehice]

Melnyk should throw all the toys out of his crib, not just some. Cooke will be expected to fight Chris Neil, and a selection of others, that's how it works in the NHL, accident or otherwise.

A Junkie does not stay clean for one year then become believable, he must stay clean forever. Cooke is like the fox living in the Hen house, all the chickens are his friends, then 4 years later, he eats them all, simply because it's his nature. He has to do better than this if he wants to remain believable. He simply cannot be involved in anything, either large or small scale for people to believe that he has altered his behaviour, that's just the way it is.

[Estovia]

All I can hear is "blah blah blah it's only ok if Chris Neil does it."

Sorry, No GM who runs with guys on this team who are renowned cheap shot artists has ANY right to cry when something ACCIDENTALLY happens to one of his players, regardless of who else was involved.

The only people anywhere who still think this was an intentional act are people wearing Senators colors.

And this quote..

"To have him taken out by a goon is unconscionable," Melnyk told TSN on Friday. "Whether it was accidental, or whether it was reckless, or whether it was intentional, to me it doesn't matter.

Tells you just how invalid his entire complaint is. Accidents happen, and it doesn't matter how, who, or why. Melnyk is basically saying "if this happened and instead of Matt Cooke it was anyone else I might be ok with it," and that's BS.

Sucks to be you, but this is a contact sport. [expletive] happens.

[iidaemmi]

All I can hear is "blah blah blah it's only ok if Chris Neil does it."

Sorry, No GM who runs with guys on this team who are renowned cheap shot artists has ANY right to cry when something ACCIDENTALLY happens to one of his players, regardless of who else was involved.

The only people anywhere who still think this was an intentional act are people wearing Senators colors.

And this quote..
Tells you just how invalid his entire complaint is. Accidents happen, and it doesn't matter how, who, or why. Melnyk is basically saying "if this happened and instead of Matt Cooke it was anyone else I might be ok with it," and that's BS.

Sucks to be you, but this is a contact sport. [expletive] happens.

It wasn't accident, tell's how invalid yours entire complaint is.

Harri

[MasonRaymond0320]

No one except Matt Cooke knows if it was an accident or not. Not sure why he would do that intentionally when everyone has been nagging at him to stop playing dirty for the last year though.

As for the senator owner comments , I'd be a bit angry also but cookes' play is obviously wanted ..can't do much about it..

[policeradio556]

Its a rich owner... one of the reasons half the season was robbed... He needs to keep his mouth shut before he degrades the game any further...

[ncm7772]

In another article, he esentially put a bounty on Cooke for the April game. That outta be interesting. MacIntyre will probably be called up for that one.

[bojohnson]

"I'm just shocked that that organization employs that type of individual."


yet, you employ neil?



same goon, different name, eugene

until you fire neil, and send him back to the streets where he belongs, you dont have the right to comment about any other organizations "goons"

[policeradio556]

Neil isn't quite the in the same goon class as the one he employed last year... Zenon Konopka...

[Crosby 87]