CBC Television hockey commentator Don Cherry voiced his opinion on Raffi Torres after his illegal hit on Marian Hossa, which allowed him to get suspended for 25 games from the Phoenix Coyotes.
On his segment in the TV show "Hockey Night in Canada" he says that Torres has changed his playing style, turning himself into a head hunter.
"I knew this kid when he was 15 and 16 I remember Stan Butler drafted him," Cherry said. “He was dynamite, he got 100 goals in three years, we thought Stan was a genius ... He was tough back then, he would hit, but nothing like he does now.
"He's a head hunter now and it's a damn shame that he's that way."
Cherry also brought up Torres' hit on Brent Seabrook last year, discussing about doing something to an 18-year-old kid.
"It's a tough guy code and everybody knows it, when you have an 18-year old kid he gets away with a lot, and a tough guy will never do this to an 18-year old kid... there is no excuse for it at all," he said.
Cherry also talked about the Wayne Gretzky days, saying it wouldn't even happen there, too.
"I've watched Gretzky and I've listened to him when he talks about it, they call this old-time hockey, but that's not old-time hockey," Cherry said. "Gretzky said when they played back then a rough and tough hard honest hockey they never went around with headshots."
Cherry would finish it off with a message to the head hunters out there, saying they will get suspended.
"Brendan [Shanahan] did a good job. This is a little lesson for head hunting and that's the best one as far as I'm concerned."
