[News] Wild put Matt Cooke on waivers for buy-out purposes

[Jacks]

Stevens hits may have been legal but IMO he intentionally tried (and succeeded) to injure players. He's not real high on my list of great players.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

if you are comparing Scott Stevens and Matt Cooke, then you must have the hockey knowledge of a canucks fan. makes no sense

I would most certainly say his hit on Kariya was worse if not the same as Cooke's on Savard.

I think they were both extremely dirty players. But because of the era Stevens gets a pass.

[Igster]

Originally Posted by codynw

Half of Stevens' hits would be suspendable if he played in the NHL today. They may have been "legal" at the time, but they were still dirty.

But he didn't. He played when the hits were deemed legal. Stevens hit to hurt no doubt, but I still don't think of him as a "dirty" player. He simply hit hard and you needed to know when he was on the ice when you were coming into his zone and you needed to keep your head up.

I don't think he's comparable at all to that punk Cooke.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I would most certainly say his hit on Kariya was worse if not the same as Cooke's on Savard.

I think they were both extremely dirty players. But because of the era Stevens gets a pass.

He sure does. He hit hard, and hit to hurt. But it was within the rules at the time.

Cooke never adapted to the new rules. He crossed the line over and over again when the line was clearly redrawn. For that, he gets no sympathy from me.

[nixon45]

Get 'er done Treliving

[Geeoff]

For those rejoicing, if someone signs him, it'll just mean he gets paid even more.

[dirk diggler]

Stevens always hit guys straight on, usually when they had their heads down. didnt do the blind side cheap hits and Stevens wouldnt run away and turtle when confronted

[flambers]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

Stevens always hit guys straight on, usually when they had their heads down. didnt do the blind side cheap hits and Stevens wouldnt run away and turtle when confronted

Still would have been suspended, way the rules are called today. Stevens went for the head.....

[ReinhartonD]

I would probably have more hate for Stevens if I'd been a Lindros fan. Stevens is different from Cooke because everyone in Stevens' era played within the rules that allowed those hits--players knew if they skated across the middle with their head down it was something that could happen.

Second, I don't remember Stevens as a guy who would instantly turtle the minute someone tried to make him answer for his hits. If you want a closer comparable in a guy from Stevens' era who was considered dirty by everyone, I think Marchment--he constantly tried to injure guys and had many suspensions for his knee targeting.