Suspension or not, what say you.

On Saturday night against the Wild in OT Jamie Benn was carrying the puck into the zone when Matt Cooke lined him up. Benn saw this coming and hit Cooke on his way into the zone. There was no penalty but there is no question the hit is high. The elbow comes up, as a result of the hit or as the main point of contact people are still arguing over, and the contact is also being debated as to who was at fault.

This one has Stars fans seemingly split right down the middle on if Benn should have received a suspension or not. He didn't due to the league considering it "defensive contact to the head" which they had a video for.

For those of you who haven't seen it already, here is the hit.



When I was watching live my initial thoughts were that it was a great play by Benn to counter the incoming hit and there was nothing wrong with it but after watching replays I am now not so sure. The defensive contact thing I get but not sure I agree with, should it be legal to throw an elbow up into someones face as they come in to hit you? Also I don't see how that fully applies here as Benn wasn't bracing for a hit, he reversed it.

So what do you unbiased people think? Wait... it is on Matt Cooke.... ok as unbiased as you can be

I agree with the NHL's decision. Cooke has a track record, this hit is a result of that track record. He only has himself to blame when things like this happen.

Defensive play. Benn was within his rights to pre-empt the hit, and so I say it's fair game.

It may have Benn a bit Wild but I can't see why it has Cooked up such a storm, from what I see the two of them are just hitting it off.

But yeah you turn that around and everyone calls for Cookie Monster's head.

Should at least be a fine, "defensive" or not. If you are serious about concussions, a headshot is a headshot no matter the situation.

Give Benn the Lady Byng!

Oh come on. You didn't really think you'd get an unbiased opinion from me did you?

Jonzee wrote:Should at least be a fine, "defensive" or not. If you are serious about concussions, a headshot is a headshot no matter the situation.

See this is half my thinking. In the examples on a defensive head contact, almost every single video was a player recognising they are about to get smoked and sticking their elbow up in defence. In my opinion that is just as dangerous especially in most of those situations the hitter can do nothing to avoid that elbow and like you say if you want concussions gone you get rid of them. The only thing that I think comes to Benns defence in my mind is that Cooke was crouching down, had he been up a little more straight then Benn would have hit him in the chest.

It certainly wasn't Benn going after Cooke as it was Cooke attempting to initiate the hit in the first place but I agree a fine would have at least shown the league isn't going to just accept head contact.

CJ: You answered pretty much exactly as I expected

Let's put a bit of perspective on this.

To be, or not to be: that is the question: whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; no more; and, by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause. There's the respect that makes calamity of so long a life; for who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, the pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death, the undiscover'd country from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will, and makes us rather bear those ills we have, than fly to others that we know not of? Thus consience doth make cowards of us all; and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, and enterprises of great pith and moment with this regard their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action.

So in conclusion. Matt Cooke is a bellend.

This post was sponsored by the Gibberish Generator http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/Gibber/GibGen.htm

I do enjoy your very insightful posts Buff

J-Iggy wrote:I agree with the NHL's decision. Cooke has a track record, this hit is a result of that track record. He only has himself to blame when things like this happen.

If you start doing that you turn the league into a beer league where brawls take place off the opening face off and coaches will be fighting in the corridors outside of locker rooms...


In all seriousness I agree with Jonzee. He should get a fine or at the most a one game suspension. However in Bettman's NHL anything goes. You cannot base a current incident on if the player had it coming to him