Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced on Thursday that star defenceman Erik Karlsson has had surgery to repair a cut achilles tendon and that his recovery time will be at least three-to-four months.
The National Hockey League decided earlier in the day that there will no hearing and no supplemental discipline for Penguins forward Matt Cooke regarding the injury to Karlsson.
Cooke was tangled up with Karlsson near the puck along the boards on Wednesday night when his skate blade cut the left achilles of the Norris Trophy-winning blueliner.
The league said on Thursday that the Department of Player Safety has reviewed the incident and that Brendan Shanahan has spoken with both general managers.
"I feel horrible for Erik Karlsson, I feel bad for Ottawa," Penguins GM Ray Shero told ESPN.com on Thursday morning. "It's a bad feeling. But I can't rationalize where that was a dirty play or anything with intent. Our fan base knows how it feels to lose a star player. It's emotional. I know how it feels like. It's just very unfortunate. I would not be defending Matt Cooke if I thought it was a dirty hockey play."
Murray explained his point of view to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on Thursday as well.
"As I told Brendan (Shanahan), it's not my job to make that judgment," Murray said. "I'm disappointed that Erik got hurt, I'm disappointed for him and our team. It's dreadful. I was upset at the time, it's Matt Cooke and there is some history there. It's one of the best players in the league getting hurt. But I can't do anybody's else job but my own. And it's of no value one way or another to the Ottawa Senators if Matt Cooke is suspended or not. We don't get our player back."
The 34-year-old Cooke has a long history of suspensions from the NHL, several of which have been for hits to the head. He has been banned from play five times during his career, most recently in March, 2011 for an elbow to the head of New York Rangers defenceman Ryan McDonagh. For that incident, Cooke was suspended for the remainder of the season and the playoffs, a total of 17 games.
