Penguins' Cooke suspended four games for hit from behind

TSN.ca Staff

2/9/2011 6:56:40 PM

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke has been suspended four games for a hit from behind on Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Fedor Tyutin. The incident occurred during the first period of their game in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Cooke was assessed a five-minute major penalty for charging and subsequently picked up a second major for fighting Derick Brassard in the ensuing scrum. 

He did not receive a game misconduct for either offence.

No stranger to controversy, Cooke escaped a suspension last season for what many thought was a high and blindside side hit to the head of Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard. This past Sunday, a knee-on-knee collision with Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin also went unpunished.

The telephone hearing with the league - as opposed to an in-person interview - suggested that any suspension would be a maximum of five games. In-person interviews are held when the ban is expected to be six games or more.