DETROIT (AP) - Matt Cooke got exactly the kind of harsh punishment Mario Lemieux challenged the NHL to hand out.
Wholesale Jerseys. The only problem is Cooke plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team owned by the Hockey Hall of Famer. The oft-penalized Cooke received the stiffest sentence yet in his 12-season NHL career when he was suspended Monday by the league for the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs for elbowing defenseman Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers in the head one day earlier. Pittsburgh has 10 games to play, including Monday night against the Detroit Red Wings. Adding in at least four postseason games, the left wing will be forced to sit out a minimum of 14 games. He will also lose $219,512.20 in salary. Last month, Lemieux lashed out at the NHL for what he perceived to be insufficient discipline following a brawl-filled game between the Islanders and his Penguins. Penguins general manager Ray Shero supported the penalty the NHL gave Cooke, saying in a statement that the suspension was warranted because thats exactly the kind of hit were trying to get out of the game. Head shots have no place in hockey. Weve 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. The ruling followed a meeting between Cooke and NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell at the league office in Toronto on Monday. Mr. Cooke, a repeat offender, directly and unnecessarily targeted the head of an opponent who was in an unsuspecting and vulnerable position, Campbell said in a statement. This isnt 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. It is Cookes fifth suspension and the fourth since he signed with the Penguins in 2008. He was banned four games last month for hitting Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin from behind. Cookes unpenalized hit last season on Bostons Marc Savard started an uproar that led to the creation of a rule that bans blindside hits to the head. The rising rate of concussions in the NHL has the league on high alert and was the biggest topic of conversation at last weeks general managers meetings. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby hasnt played since Jan. 5 because of a lingering concussion caused by hits to the head in successive games from Washingtons David Steckel on Jan. 1 in the Winter Classic and Tampa Bays Victor Hedman four days later. Lemieuxs complaints came after the Penguins and Islanders combined for 346 penalty minutes, 10 ejections, 15 fighting majors and 20 misconducts. The Islanders had two players suspended for their actions, and the team was fined $100,000 for failing to maintain control. Pittsburgh avoided a fine by the NHL, and only Eric Godard on the Penguins side was suspended - receiving an automatic 10-game ban for leaving the bench to join a fight. 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, Lemieux said then. 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. Cooke didnt play in that Feb. 11 game against the Islanders because he was serving his other suspension, and he wont be on the ice for the anticipated rematch with New York on April 8. In 67 games this season, Cooke has 30 points (12-18) and 129 penalty minutes. He ranked sixth on the team with 37 points, entering Monday nights game. The suspension is another setback for a team that has been without Crosby for two months and has lost Evgeni Malkin (knee) for the rest of the season. Crosby is skating, but there isnt a timetable for his return to the lineup.
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Dwyane Wade Jersey. Its the prognosis -- or lack of one -- thats a source of worry now. And suddenly, the Indiana Pacers may be even more of a threat.TORONTO - Early in Thursdays game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Joey Graham drove hard to the basket for a layup in a good example of what the Toronto Raptors forward does best. Graham was solid in Torontos 90-86 loss to the TWolves, the athletic forwards first appearance of the pre-season after missing four games with a hamstring injury. Raptors coach Sam Mitchell is just keeping his fingers crossed that the frustratingly inconsistent Graham can be consistently good all season long. "Every guy has a clean slate, every guy has a fresh opportunity," Mitchell said. "Hopefully he plays well and his confidence gets better. We need Joey, there are some things athletically that Joey can do that we dont have other guys that can do them. "Its our hope that Joey turns the corner this year." Ryan Gomes scored 17 points to lead the Timberwolves in Torontos final pre-season appearance at the Air Canada Centre. Andrea Bargnani finished with 22 points to top Toronto (3-2). Graham had 12 points and four rebounds in an energetic 26 minutes. Chris Bosh and Kris Humphries had 10 points apiece. Grahams return is a big boost for the Raptors, who, with a roster thats just 13 deep, need every healthy player they can get. The fourth-year forward started in place of Jamario Moon, and showed few if any signs of rust. "I was aggressive, coach told me he wanted me to come in and be rebounding, run the floor as well as I could, even though it was still a little sore," Graham said. "I tried to do that, come out there and stay aggressive, attack the basket and get to the free throw line." Grahams career has seen the ups and downs of a roller-coaster. He was a starter in his rookie and sophomore seasons, but struggled mightily in some games. He had a strong finish to his second year filling in for Jorge Garbajosa when the Spaniard went down with a season-ending ankle injury. He found himself on the bench for much of last season. "I still have great memories of when Garbo went down and how Joey played those last 16 games, that really helped us win the Atlantic (Division) and get into the playoffs," Mitchell said. "Joey has been up and down, but every year when I come into a season, I dont think about what a player did last year because it means nothing." Moon, meanwhile, finished with just two points, but grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. The TWolves (4-1) led by as much as 17 ppoints Thursday in a game riddled with botched plays and bad passes - the first half might have been one of Torontos sloppiest efforts of this exhibition season.
Dirk Nowitzki Jersey Minnesota took a 68-64 lead into the fourth quarter. A dunk by Humphries put Toronto up 76-75 with 7:39 left, but with the second unit on the floor until the final buzzer, the TWolves pulled ahead 88-84 with 1:41 left on a basket by Gomes. A pair of free throws by Gomes with 10 seconds left guaranteed a Minnesota victory. Blake Ahearn added 15 points for Minnesota. With just three games to go before the real season starts two weeks from now, Mitchell scaled back on both Bosh and Jose Calderons playing time - Bosh played 21 minutes, while Calderon played just 16. The coach hopes to use much of the remainder of the exhibition season to evaluate backup point guards Roko Ukic and Will Solomon. Ukic played just eight minutes, and when the Croatian rookie turned the ball over on back-to-back plays midway through the second quarter he was subbed off in favour of Solomon. The Euroleague veteran fared somewhat better in his 24 minutes, finishing with a eight points and a team-high seven assists, but after one particularly ugly turnover got an earful from Bosh. "Were trying to teach them the way we play," Mitchell said of his backup guards. "Theyve got to be aggressive, and theyve got to be ready to make a play. Were just giving them a little bit at a time. Weve got to continue to work, we approach it as if they know nothing, and then we just try to add to it." The Raptors shot a horrible 26 per cent in the first quarter, but trailed just 18-17 to start the second. Ahearn went to work on Toronto in the second quarter, scoring on his first six shots, including a trio of three-pointers for 15 points. A driving layup by Sebastian Telfair gave the TWolves a 16-point lead late in the first half and they took a 52-37 advantage into the dressing room at halftime. Toronto, with its starters back on the floor, outscored Minnesota 27-19 in the third and a driving finger roll by Moon cut the TWolves lead to 68-64 with 30 seconds left in the quarter. Corey Brewer drained a three and Minnesota took a 71-64 advantage into the fourth. NOTES: The Raptors are in L.A. to face the Clippers on Saturday. . . They wrap up the pre-season Tuesday against the Denver Nuggets in Edmonton. . . Toronto opens the regular season in Philadelphia on Oct. 29. ' ' '