After Raffi Torres crushed Marian Hossa with a brutal illegal check that went unpenalized while Hossa was sent to the hospital, the aftermath of that has created a firestorm within the media.
Torres’ checkered history of illegal hits, with most targeting the head, is well known. We’ve seen him scrutinized by the league three times this season already, getting fined once and suspended, as well as in last year’s playoffs and it appears everyone has about had it with him.
Mark Spector of Sportsnet calls Torres “hockey’s biggest punk” saying that Torres never learns from his misgivings and will only be out there to do it again in the future making yet another team regret signing him in the first place.
On Tuesday night Torres claimed the belt, as well as his latest victim, with a typically predatory hit on Hossa. It was like so many others by Torres, who floats from team to team to team, each one pleased that they’ve picked up “a game-changer,” then liking themselves even more when they part ways, deciding that their organization is better than that.
Meanwhile, both Damien Cox of the Toronto Star and Renaud Lavoie of RDS in Quebec (French) were quick to refer to Torres as the league’s new version of the old Matt Cooke. Not the reformed guy we’ve seen this year, but the guy who was suspended for 17-games last year.
The criticisms of Torres are harsh, but they’re also mostly spot on. If there’s anyone in the league meant to be a candidate to be forcefully educated by the league to clean up their game, the way Cooke was, it’s Torres. Question is: Will the league step in and do something along those lines?