“I know Matt Cooke is a repeat offender, he’s been suspended twice in the last year. I can’t suspend Matt Cooke for being a repeat offender, I have to find a reason. Right now our rules say that shoulders to head are legal. Matt Cooke did not jump, and did not do anything that we found illegal in his actions even though again you don’t like what happened.” — Colin Campbell, on TSN

Outrage. How can any hockey fan feel anything but outrage at this mockery of a ruling? What adds insult to injury is how Campbell attempts to justify himself. You have to find a reason, Mr. Campbell? How about deliberate attempt to injure? Check the rule book — it’s right there, under “match penalties”:

“A match penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who deliberately attempts to injure an opponent IN ANY MANNER.” (emphasis mine)

That the referees missed the call on the ice is irrelevant. You yourself have imposed suspensions after missed calls.

But you’re not going to do it this time around, are you? And we know why. You blew it on the Mike Richards cheap shot on David Booth, and you’re falling back on that “precedent” to justify this miscarriage of justice. According to you, two wrongs make a right.

“Campbell’s decision signals that players are free to seek out unsuspecting opponents, launch blindside hits to their heads that leave them with scrambled brains, and fear no consequence in terms of penalties or suspensions. ‘Hits to the head are legal, if you want to look at it that way,’’ said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. ‘They’re legal.’’’ — Fluto Shinzawa, Boston Globe

So there’s the (unintended, I’m sure, but blatantly obvious) fallout from Campbell’s “ruling.”

“It was a late hit, he followed though with the elbow, he hit him in the back off the head, & Cooke has a track record of these types of hits. The fact that he was not suspended is ludicrous, and is a message to the Bruins and every other team that they shouldn’t wait to ‘let the league deal with the offending player’ and they should settle the score on the ice. This will result in more injuries to talented players, in an already watered-down league. Today’s ruling by Campbell was very bad news for this league.” — message board commenter

NHL officials wonder why the casual sports fan looks upon their league as a farce. This is why. The head of discipline can’t bring himself to do what’s right, and leaves the inmates to run the asylum. Don’t be surprised, Mr. Bettman and Mr. Campbell, if the next player you see carried off the ice is loaded into a hearse, not an ambulance. And you’ll have nobody to blame but yourselves.