Matt Cooke made plenty of enemies in the NHL with his reputation for delivering cheap shots out on the ice.
The Penguins’ pest is particularly reviled in Boston for his role in prematurely ending the career of Bruins star center Marc Savard via a blindside hit.
Cooke’s high hit against a defenseless Savard on March 7, 2010 led to severe concussion issues for the playmaking forward. Confined to rooms in “total darkness” for months after the hit, Savard missed the remainder of the regular season in 2009-10.
He only played 25 games the following season before a clean hit from Matt Hunwick knocked Savard’s head into the glass.