Getty Image
Matt Cooke’s time in the NHL was defined by the questionable hits that helped him earn a reputation as one of the league’s dirtiest players. As a result, plenty of people were thrilled to see him get knocked out by Evander Kane during a fight in 2010—a tilt that led to him receiving a gift basket courtesy of the Boston Bruins.
It’s pretty hard to last for 16 seasons in the NHL without being a talented hockey player, but the fact that Matt Cooke retired with more penalty minutes (1,135) than games played (1,046) gives you an idea of the style of play that made him one of the league’s most controversial figures during his career.
Cooke was suspended six times for various infractions by the time he hung up his skates, but most fans of the Boston Bruins would tell you it should’ve been seven due to the blindside hit he delivered on Marc Savard as a member of the Penguins during a game on March 7, 2010.
That hit (which led to the NHL tweaking its rules to deter similarly dirty plays) effectively ended Savard’s career, as he never truly recovered from the concussion he suffered as a result (he didn’t officially retire until 2018, but he was only able to suit up for 32 games following the fateful blow and appeared in his final one in 2011).
Cooke ended up getting a massive dose of karma when he decided to drop the gloves with Evander Kane in a game between the Penguins and the Thrashers around a month after his hit on Savard, which came to a swift end when the Atlanta rookie won via knockout after delivering one of the best punches you’ll ever see in a hockey fight.
During a recent episode of Pardon My Take, Kane said he rewatched the KO hundreds of times and revealed the Bruins went out of their way to thank him for his service, saying, “I actually got a gift basket from the Boston Bruins later that year in the offseason because of what he did to Marc Savard.”
@pardonmytake The Boston Bruins sent Evander Kane a jersey for knocking out Matt Cook his first year in the league #oilers #nhl #stanleycup #hockey #panthers #barstoolsports
That’s the kind of pettiness you have to respect.