The National Hockey League's broken record, also known as hits to the head, will be at the forefront Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke, a repeat offender, and New Jersey Devils defenceman Anton Volchenkov, will have disciplinary hearings over the phone, according to cable sports network TSN.

Any suspension would be limited to five games or less.

On Tuesday night, Cooke hit Columbus blue-liner Fedor Tyutin from behind, while Volchenkov delivered an elbow to the head of Carolina forward Zach Boychuk.

Cooke and Volchenkov were assessed charging and elbowing penalties, respectively, for their actions.

For Cooke, Tuesday's controversial hit was his second in as many games. He nearly took out Washington's Alex Ovechkin late in the third period of Sunday's 3-0 loss when he collided with the Capitals' star left-winger.

Cooke was whistled for tripping but not before Washington defenceman Jeff Schultz swung his stick to the back of his opponent's legs, and Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom punched Cooke in the face.

"I just tracked the puck," Cooke told reporters of the Ovechkin incident. "He cut back on me. We clicked skates."

Boudreau no fool

Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau wasn't buying Cooke's explanation.

"It's Matt Cooke, OK. Need we say more?" Boudreau said. "It's not like it's his first rodeo. He's done it to everybody and then he goes to the ref and says, 'What did I do?' He knows darn well what he did. There's no doubt in my mind that he's good at it and he knows how to do it, he knows how to pick this stuff.

"We as a league still buy into this that it was an accidental thing."

Last March, Boston Bruins centre Marc Savard suffered a Grade 2 concussion after Cooke's hard elbow to the head sent him off the ice on a stretcher. Savard returned to full-time action on Dec. 2, but will miss the balance of the season after suffering a concussion when he was checked into the end boards' glass by former teammate Matt Hunwick of Colorado on Jan. 22.

Cooke could miss a few games and join fellow Penguins Sidney Crosby (concussion), Evgeni Malkin (torn ligaments in right knee) and Chris Kunitz (unspecified) on the sidelines. Arron Asham (upper body), Mark Letestu (lower body), Mike Comrie (hip surgery) and Alex Grant (broken wrist, broken neck ligaments) remain on injured reserve.

Meanwhile, Volchenkov took high-sticking and delay of game penalties in addition to his elbow against Boychuk.

"I'm happy for the win," Volchenkov told reporters after New Jersey's 3-2 decision over the Hurricanes. "For me taking penalties — I'm not really happy for myself."

Volchenkov added he was punched in the head before he elbowed Boychuk, prompting Devils bench boss Jacques Lemaire to make light of the situation: "That was the closest we came to getting a power play."

With files from The Associated Press