Bruins broadcaster Jack Edwards compares Matt Cooke to an assassin

Boston Bruins broadcaster Jack Edwards was not just critical of Penguins left wing Matt Cooke, he went so far as to compare him to an assassin.

While it’s true that Cooke had a reputation as a player who took cheap shots at opponents and has been blamed for ruining the career of Marc Savard with a blindside hit that gave him a concussion, he was neither penalized nor fined for that hit.

Savard, who played for several seasons with the Bruins, has struggled with concussions since Cooke’s hit and has not played since 2011 because of post-concussion syndrome.

Evidently, as you can hear in the audio accompanying the video above, Edwards has not forgotten and will never forgive. He takes particular exception with the Pittsburgh media members, who nominated Cooke for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies dedication, perseverance and sportsmanship.

Now, Edwards is certainly paid to not only call hockey games but give his impressions of the play he’s witnessing and his opinions of those who take part in the game. But he probably crossed a line when, moments after the Bruins opened the scoring on Friday night, he compared Cooke’s on-ice actions and his nomination to those of Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, who is serving a life sentence at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, Calif.

“Nominating Cooke for the Masterton is about the equivalent of nominating Sirhan Sirhan as the prisoner of the year,” Edwards said.

The broadcaster later realized the gaffe and apologized via Twitter.

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