Statement from Mario Lemieux

[Crosby 87]

Once again let's try to keep the name calling and pitch forking out of it. But as some of you may of not seen it yet here it is:

“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.

“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed.

“We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.

“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it.”

[Craig2]

While I agree completely with everything he says in that statement, I do have to wonder if it's not at least slightly hypocritical given that Matt Cooke is one of his employees. I also did not hear 66 criticizing some of his former teammates like Ulf Samuelsson for endangering others.

So I agree with the message, but I don't know if it's necessarily coming from the right messenger.

[afholmes87]

While I agree completely with everything he says in that statement, I do have to wonder if it's not at least slightly hypocritical given that Matt Cooke is one of his employees. I also did not hear 66 criticizing some of his former teammates like Ulf Samuelsson for endangering others.

So I agree with the message, but I don't know if it's necessarily coming from the right messenger.

I'm with you, I agree with everything Super Mario said, but when you have a player like Matt Cooke on your roster and don't make any comment about that I do find a little hypocritical. The question then is who do you think the right messenger is? I don't think Gretzky would be the answer as we here in the United States, as a population, tend to crucify sports legends for anything they've done for impeding pure competition or have any lapse of moral judgement(see Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, Gilbert Arenas), and with Gretz's wife involved in that gambling deal with Tocchet, I don't see him as an icon a lot of Americans are going to accept this kind of message from easily...

[centrehice]

Mario throws all of his toys out of the crib. Lol.

If he is so concerned, then he should put a leash on that Thumber... Goddard.

Suspensions given were appropriate.

[Wickabee]

I agree with you guys. He's saying the suspensions against the Islanders weren't harsh enough, but does he believe the suspension against Cooke was strong enough given his history and the way he's been running around the last couple of weeks? I know I don't.

The Penguins need to settle down and realize that just because their 2 star players are out doesn't give them the right to goon around the rest of the league in response. Vancouver is out 3 of their top defensemen right now, 1 was slew-footed and the other was jumped at and concussed and there were no calls, no suspensions. Are they going around taking out frustrations on everyone they see and culminating it with brawls against a division rival? No, they're going out and playing hockey and still winning. The rest of Pittsburgh's team IS good enough to win without Crosby and Malkin and without taking pride in trying to hurt other players because, "Hey our guys are hurt, let's do the same to them", they just aren't showing themslves to be smart enough to keep playing hockey.

This isn't saying the Islanders players weren't in the wrong as well, they were. The difference is, they only seem interested in going after the Pens. The Pens (mostly Cooke) seem pretty interested in hurting everyone.

[Crosby 87]

I agree with you guys. He's saying the suspensions against the Islanders weren't harsh enough, but does he believe the suspension against Cooke was strong enough given his history and the way he's been running around the last couple of weeks? I know I don't.
.

He actually doesnt name the Islanders in that the punishments were harsh enough.

“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed.

“We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.

“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it.”

[RGM81]

Maybe he'll sell the Penguins to Balsilie. LOL

[Wickabee]

He actually doesnt name the Islanders in that the punishments were harsh enough.

“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed.

“We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.

“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it.”

Do you actually think he's talking about his own team though? It's pretty obvious that Cooke's suspension was too lenient and he doesn't tack on anything about that. I think it's pretty obvious what he's talking about.

[Crosby 87]

Do you actually think he's talking about his own team though? It's pretty obvious that Cooke's suspension was too lenient and he doesn't tack on anything about that. I think it's pretty obvious what he's talking about.

Yes , i do.

[westaylor]

Maybe a better time to speak up was when Matt Cooke was ruining Savard's career and life outside of hockey.