Raffi Torres’ 25-game suspension is one of the longest in the history of the NHL, so there’s not much to compare it with. However, one that comes to mind is Matt Cooke’s punishment for elbowing Ryan McDonagh last season. For his actions, Cooke was suspended for the final 10 regular season games and the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Cooke promised to change following that suspension and for the most part, he has succeeded. He went from spending 129 minutes in the sin bin in 2010-11 to recording just 44 penalty minutes in 82 games this season. At the same time, he posted career-highs with 19 goals and 38 points.
Cooke acknowledged that longer suspensions do send a message.
“Yeah. I think messages are sent through suspensions for sure. I guess it’s how it’s perceived,” Cooke said.
So will Torres get the message or will it fall on deaf ears? He will almost certainly get another chance next season.