Bertuzzi Suspended For Rest Of Season

[Adams Wulff]

TORONTO - Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks (news) was suspended for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs by the NHL on Thursday for attacking Colorado's Steve Moore.
 


In addition, Bertuzzi's eligibility for next season will be determined by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before the start of training camp.



The Canucks were also fined $250,000.
"We want to make clear that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in the NHL," league vice president Colin Campbell said in a statement.

I am not satisfied.

[AP]

1. What did Bertuzzi do?

[flakey_foont]

7. cheap shot from behind on another player

broke his neck.........if you watch ESPN,,, this clip has been shown almost as much as much as Janet Jackson's ta-ta

[AP]

8. I haven't watched ESPN in about 6 weeks.

[AngryAmish]

82. Poor guy

[AP]

111. Modern day Bread & Ciricus: Fast Food & ESPN.

I'm trying to avoid both.

[hippiechick]

12. uh, actually ...

It was more likely the other dude who jumped on top of Bertuzzi as he and Moore were already on their way down that broke Moore's neck. Add 200 more lbs to a person falling forward on ice and you're gonna do some damage.

Dumbass shouldn'ta jumped on Bertuzzi.

But yeah, it was a cheap shot and no, I don't think the punishment was stiff enough.


:hippie:

[4dsc]

13. Not the way I sawit

Moore was already on the ice with the damage done!! I don't know why you are trying to stick up to this crap!!

[hippiechick]

42. Because i am entitled to my opinion...

... as are you.

And if you read my post, i am not DEFENDING what Bertuzzi did ... i am simply stating that it's not CLEAR what specifically caused the vertebral fracture.

Try observing a situation without the knee-jerk reactions, you'd be surprised how different things can look.

:hippie:

[Drifter]

30. The victim was ...

already unconcious when his head hit the ice, which was long before the teammate jumped on in retaliation.

I am not a big fan of police getting involved with sports related issues but this is a bit different. There was a plot in the works for nearly a month to "get" this guy.

They should put the whole fucking team in jail.

Cheers
Drifter

[hippiechick]

41. watch it again ... in slo mo ....

are you sure ?


:shrug:


:hippie:

[Adams Wulff]

48. Pretty Sure.

Somebody going down like that, if conscious, is instinctively going to try to break his own fall by way of defensive reaction via the arms or at least the hands being thrust out in front of him.
Moore dropped like a rock. Out cold even before his head hit the ice.

BTW, if your opinion that it was the Av's player that did all the damage, half of the NFL players would be dead, just from celebratory pile-ons.

[4dsc]

96. You are correct

EOM!!

[SaintLouisBlues]

52. "It was Bertuzzi all along"

says Godfather

[Submariner]

54. Watch the replay

http://www3.telus.net/thecampbells/BertvsMoore.wmv

[THUNDER HANDS]

2. seems fair to me

Bertuzzi's hit wasn't as bad as McSoreley's last year. It just happened that the guy broke his neck.

Unfortunate, but accidential.

[phillybri]

5. It was still pre-meditated...

n/t

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. yes, and it's not a crime to instigate a fight

Bertuzzi wanted to goad that guy into fighting him, unfortunately the guy got stunned by the shot to his head and then Bertuzzi fell on him.

This was a one in a million chance of occuring.

[LagaLover]

11. Got news for you,

It IS a crime to instigate a fight, especially if you commit battery in doing so.

[THUNDER HANDS]

16. if he didn't break his neck it wasn't battery

It's only battery because the guy landed on his head at the wrong angle. If he had just fallen and tussled with Bertuzzi we wouldn't be hearing about this.

A hockey player shouldn't go to jail because he decided to play dirty once.

[LagaLover]

18. Yeah, he should

And the law supports that. Normally that kind of stuff is NOT prosecuted, but it CAN be.

[THUNDER HANDS]

20. he shouldn't go to jail

He should...however...be forced to double-shift the next time he plays Colorado. I'm sure the Avalanche players will be more than happy to exact justice on him.

[LagaLover]

24. If there was ever a case

where a guy deserved to go to jail for his on-ice actions, this is one.

[Adams Wulff]

55. Once?

Google "Bertuzzi suspensions" and you'll find that Bertuzzi has been in the top ten for suspensions in every league he's ever played in.
He's a goon, all right. And this IS his style of play, no matter what the lawyers tell him to say.

[Character Assassin]

120. Come again? Care to explain that tortured legal conclusion?

if he didn't break his neck it wasn't battery...

This should be interesting. FYI, it's felony battery, and could even be creatively construed as AWD.

[ProfessorGAC]

124. That's COMPLETELY In Error

Once a blow lands, it's battery. That's the legal definition. Look it up in either of the Mann & Roberts books on introductory law. (Civil and Criminal).

You don't have to suffer and injury of ANY type for battery to have occurred.
The Professor

[Character Assassin]

125. Good call, Hoss.

Glad we finally agree on something ;-)

[phillybri]

14. If you wanna goad someone into a fight....

You don't wrestle them to the ground from behind. You get in front and drop the gloves...

[THUNDER HANDS]

17. some do that, some don't

Bertuzzi isn't a classic goon, so he probably doesn't take into account the unwritten rules that enforcers adhere to.

[ZenLefty]

22. So, he's a dumb goon?

No, he's not. He needs to be accountable for his actions. There's no special set of rules that he skates by, and I'm not going to pretend that he doesn't know the difference between right and wrong because he isn't a "classic goon".

[THUNDER HANDS]

25. it's not a question of right and wrong

It's a question of whether its right for the law to get involved.

I have no doubt that if this happened in America it wouldn't be an issue. But Vancouver is such an attention-starved place that it wants to put on a show.

If a player isn't liable for fouling a ball off, beaning someone in the head and killing them - then they shouldn't be liable for something that happens on the field during the course of a game - no matter how ugly it is.

Ugliness is a part of sports. Let the league handle it themselves.

[LagaLover]

26. How can you compare

fouling off a pitch with ATTACKING a guy on ice?

[THUNDER HANDS]

29. because

both are incidents which resulted in tragedy that stemmed from freak accidents.

Bertuzzi didn't mean to break the guy's neck. It just happened. Punching a guy in the back of the head while he's skating up ice is a low thing to do - but it's not criminal.

And I don't believe you should hold people criminally liable for injuries sustained in the course of play....as much as I would like Darcy Tucker to spend a week in jail for taking out Michael Peca's knee two years ago, I'm not going to cry out for the police.

Stuff on the field should stay on the field.

Plus, this isn't as bad as what happened last year when that guy swung his stick like a baseball bat and hit that other guy in the head.

[LagaLover]

33. Yes, it IS criminal

and CAN be prosecuted; it's just not usually done. Fouling off a ball is an accident; attacking someone for behind is intentional. Bertuzzi committed battery and while that is usually considered "part of the game," it COULD be prosecuted.

[THUNDER HANDS]

36. but it shouldn't be

Should a football player who hits another player really, really hard and breaks his neck be arrested too?

[LagaLover]

37. No,

because you are SUPPOSED to tackle people in football. You are NOT SUPPOSED to cowardly attack someone from behind in hockey.

[ZenLefty]

28. Intent

If you could prove that the foul ball was intentionally aimed at a specific person's head, and it was a premeditated and deliberate act for the sole purpose of hurting someone, then the guy should absolutely be liable.

I don't think bertuzzi intended to do as much damage as he did, but it's very clear that he intended to do harm - real harm. It was late in the game, the proud Canucks were getting their asses kicked on the scoreboard, and they were getting very frustrated. bertuzzi made a choice, made in anger, and that choice was to hunt down Steve Moore with the intention of hurting him. Not checking him, not getting into a fight, but hurting him from behind.

Honestly, I don't care if he's charged with a criminal offense. But if the police can prove that this was a premeditated act, then I think they are obligated to press charges. They set the precedent with McSorley; they opened this can of worms. I don't see how their justice should treat a Vancouver superstar any different than an American-born goon.

It is a question of right and wrong. That's what this is all about.

[rocktivity]

39. [b]Originally posted by ZenLefty

Honestly, I don't care if he's charged with a criminal offense. But if the police can prove that this was a premeditated act, then I think they are obligated to press charges. They set the precedent with McSorley; they opened this can of worms.

You're right--they have no choice but to go ahead with a criminal investigation because of McSorely. He may not be punished as severely as McSorely (banned for life) because he didn't use a stick, but on other hand, he IS a repeat offender.

The NHL could solve these problems very easily. But they're afraid that if they banned fighting altogether, attendance would drop. I have a friend who played in amateur hockey league which had two simple rules about fighting: Once, and you're out of the game; twice, and you're out of the league. There were very, very, VERY few fights.

:headbang:
rocknation

[mountainvue]

50. You're correct

but just one thing- McSorley was suspended for just one year but never returned because he'd already played for 17. So effectually, it eneded his career.

[toska]

38. It was an assault

The laws in the US are stricter than Canada in this case. He could have faced 5-7 years jail time if he did it in Denver.

And sucker punching somebody from behind is not goading them into a fight. I'm not against fighting in hockey but that was an assault with intent to injure, not a fight. I seriously doubt the extent of the injuries were what Bertuzzi had in mind, but from all appearances it was pre-meditated. Especially with the talk of a bounty on Moore's head.

My first impression was that he should be suspended for the rest of the season and the playoffs. Now I feel he deserves a full year off.

There are ways to get retribution in hockey. That wasn't one of them and the league should send a message.

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gorgan]

85. hitting a guy blindside with your glove on

is tantamount to attempted murder. There's a reason the NHL has a strict rule about fighting with gloves on--it's because it's like have lead bars taped to your fist. Bertuzzi knocked Moore out with one punch, then piledrived him. I say his career should be over, and I hope the BC police can make a case--he should do time for this.

[sendero]

95. What world are you in?

You don't think cold-cocking someone is illegal? Why don't you try it and see how long you are in jail.

You can try to start a fight with words legally. Once you swing a fist - that is assault.

[phillybri]

3. He should be suspended for a solid year...

Scumbag.

[Renew Deal]

4. Good.

F*** his stupid ass. I hope the cops get involved. I hope they don't let him back.

[LagaLover]

10. Agree

He should be banned for life.

[theHandpuppet]

31. Nah...

<sarcasm alert>

In sports you only get banned for life for gambling, not for blindsiding people, slamming their faces into the ground and breaking their neck. A simple and temporary suspension with fine will do.

Moreover, should any athlete decide to pump their body full of steroids so they can cheat their way into the record books, just remember your Powers-That-Be will valiantly defend your right to Incredible Hulk your body and those of others courtesy of the illicit drug industry.

Further, should you decide to batter your wife/girlfriend, attack young fans in the stands, find yourself an habitual drug user or a raging, big-mouthed bigot with anger management problems, launch physical assaults on officials and/or other players... well, these things happen in sports. Everyone should be given the benefit of a doubt and another chance... rest easy, it won't affect your shot at the Halls of Fame.

Unless, of course, you're guilty of a non-violent offense such as gambling, then YOU"RE OUTTA HERE, buddy boy!

[LagaLover]

35. Well said N/T

[kori]

110. Perfect post I could not have said it better myself

[rocktivity]

6. Punishment fits the crime--give him the rest of the season off

He hit the guy from behind, but at least he had enough class to get rid of his stick unlike that other guy (who got kicked out of the league altogether). And I believe a criminal investigation IS underway.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Tripper11]

15. I agree with the suspension and all, but one thing I noticed.....

is how all of a sudden hockey is on the front page in America now because of this.
I in no way defend Bertuzzi's actions, they were horrible, but as a former hockey player, and growing up and listening and watching hockey, I understand how payback for something is part of the game. I know I know..flame me if you will, but that's just part of the game.
Here in America the only time you hear about hockey is when there is a violent incident like this, you never hear, or see highlights of the beautiful goal at the end of the 3rd period to tie the game, or the end-to-end rush, passing plays that make the game so exciting to watch.
I live in Seattle and I can't even get the Canucks score during a sportscast, but now, every sportscast leads with this.
I guess my point is, that even though Bertuzzi's actions were wrong on so many levels, I do understand, in a hockey way, what he was doing. Moore had hit Mats Naslund in mid-February causing him to leave the game due to injury.
When Gretzky played, if you so much as brushed up against him, you knew something would happen.
Again, I totally agree, Bertuzzi's hit was horrible, it was wrong, it was stupid, but like anything in spots, it was one bad incident that stands out in a ton of good things that happen everyday in hockey.
Just my 2 cents.

[ZenLefty]

19. I saw his apology last night

It seemed very heartfelt, very emotional. I doubt he's slept much in the last few days.

While I feel the ruling is lenient, it's about what I expected. Let todd get his shit together and see if he can come back a better person. They're cutting him some slack by even letting him play again, and I hope he makes the best of it. Steve Moore seems to be making a full recovery, and bertuzzi better hope to whatever gods he prays to that it's not an ounce less than a full recovery.

From the article:

"Mr. Bertuzzi will be required to meet with Commissioner Bettman prior to the start of training camp for the 2004-05 season, at which point Mr. Bertuzzi's eligibility will be reviewed in light of all the available facts at that time, including Mr. Moore's physical status and the progression of his recovery."

[lazarus]

122. Zen, I have a problem with his apology

And it was summed up perfectly by Mike Wilbon today on ESPN.

Bertuzzi said, "I apologise for what happened."

As if something just happened, and he just happened to be there, and he's sorry he was there.

Whatever happened to standing up and saying, "I'm sorry I piledrived your face into the ice and broke your neck. It was wrong. I meant to hurt you, but not this badly."

Now that's an apology.

[ZenLefty]

21. Some links: (he may miss some of next season too)

Bertuzzi suspended for the season - TSN

Bertuzzi done for season - Sportsnet

Suspension amounts to minimum 17 games - ESPN

Bertuzzi Suspended for Remainder of Season

[MrPrax]

23. What a load of crap...

Bettman should be suspended...immediately

Imagine the head of the League influencing the play-offs...
I mean if the team was involved in 'rigging', 'drugs' etc etc, then fine, but Bertuzzi is a top scorer and instrumental to the Vancouver Canucks special teams...

The whole teams season is over now...and they WERE a contender...

Oh yeah the Hit?
Big deal...hockey fans should be suspended for their hypocrisy anyhow...

[youngred]

34. You obviously have no clue what you're talking about

Bertuzzi may be their best player but he is not alone on that team for talent.

[MrPrax]

83. Huh...

Um...as far as clueless...um...
Naslund is their best player on paper and IF you knew anything you would know that much of the Nucks playmaking is structured around their 'power forward'

What the Sedins and Trevor are going to take them to the Big Dance--unlikely

[Drifter]

27. Lifetime Ban ...

is the only way to stop this sort of behaviour.

It should be done in all sports. Period.

You Fuck up, you lose, find a new job.

This ASSWIPE and his teammates had been planning this attack for well over a month. The victim had a bounty on his head.

Cheers
Drifter

[Village Idiot]

44. The victim had a bounty on his head...

...for good reasons. Moore is a habitual cheap shot artist who got what he deserves. I hope he never plays again. I have been complaining about this guy ALL year and I've been waitig for something like this to happen to him.
<p>
It's a shame that Bertuzzi had to be the one to dispense retribution for the flying elbow on Naslund, however. Call me unfeeling, but I feel more loss for the Canucks and Bertuzzi more than I feel for Moore. When you repeatedly attack and goad the opposition as Moore is wont to do, you must pay the penalty.
<p>
It's obvious that Bertuzzi wanted to knock Moore on his ass, but I think he knocked Moore unconscious before they both (and one other) hit the ice and broke Moore's neck.
<p>
Excrement occurs. Moore pays, Bertuzzi and the Canucks will pay.

[Tommy_Douglas]

46. What?

Moore hasn't even been in the league long enough to build up a rep of being a cheap shot artist.

The hit on Naslund wasn't even a penalty (it could have been) He wasn't even given a suspension on the play.

The Canucks repeatedly said they were going to go after Moore.

Earlier in the game Moore answered the bell by fighting Matt Cooke.

Down 9-2 Bertuzzi figured with the game a blowout he'd pick a fight with the much smaller Moore and Moore said no. So he cold cocked him from behind. (With his glove on I might add)

Then they show Crawford with a smirk on his face... Moore could have died! Disgusting behaviour. I could hit you in the head with a baseball bat and you could die from it. That may of not been my intention I might have just wanted to hurt you badly, but I still have to answer for your death.

Bertuzzi has to answer for this. No place in the game for it.

[Village Idiot]

62. Moore hasn't even been in the league long enough....

...only three years, although last year and the league before he spent a lot of time in the minors...

Seriously - it was a cheap shot on Bertuzzi's part - that's not even up for debate. It was no cheaper than the Naslund hit, though, however more serious the consequences, and it was within the bounds of "the code." It was retribution, plain and simple.

In my opinion, Moore is a mediocre talent at best, a KNOWN cheap-shot artist (I have been present for two incidents involving Moore other than the Naslund elbow, in Ottawa and Montreal), and Bertuzzi is a talented goal scorer, not known for rough play. If Moore's career is done, I don't think it would be any great loss to anyone besides Moore, as far as hockey is concerned. If Bertuzzi's career is finished, it is certainly a tragic loss to the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks and also to Canucks fans worldwide (and I'm not even a Canucks fan).

The Canucks were "gunning" for him - it was well known - yet he refused to fight Bertuzzi (and he is only an inch shorter and 20 lbs lighter - not "much smaller"), so he got suckered (as players often do in these circumstances) from behind in attempt to instigate a fight - and got knocked out. I believe that if it weren't for players like Moore, there would be no reprisals. If he would have fought Bertuzzi, he would not be in traction today.

This is hockey - hockey is a dangerous game and there are unwritten rules as well as written ones. Disobey the rules, disrespect the code and you pay a price.

[youngred]

32. good

hopefully he misses part of the next too.

I'm sure he's sorry, and I don't think he meant to hurt Moore as badly as he did, but this kind of thing can NOT be allowed

[JAbuchan08]

40. Everything but the result was intentional

Bertuzzi meant to attack him from behind and he meant to tackle him to the ice. Although I don't think he should go to jail neccessarily I do think that he should be charged with assault. Suppose Moore had died? Would we still be justified in saying that since Bertuzzi didn't mean to hurt him he shouldn't face criminal charges? Bertuzzi did something very dangerous, and he should have been aware of that. The "I didn't know what would happen as a result of my dangerous behavior" defense is called stupidity not a mitigating factor.

[mmm]

51. Bertuzzi needs prison time

this was the cheapest shot I have ever seen

[treepig]

43. this incident fits into the "irony is dead" meme

isn't all the uproar just a bit hard to fathom, what with this being the most bloodthirsty nation on earth and all that?

anyhow, suppose it provides a chance for everyone to get up on their soapbox and bash hockey for a while.

[callous taoboy]

45. An exposed titty on nat'l tee vee

provokes much more uproar than a broken neck. Sick society we live in.

[Cush]

47. It should carry over to next year

There are what, 13 games left in the regular season? If the Canucks get swep in the frist round, that's only a 17 game suspension. Not enough. Should have been at least a mandatory 25, this is worse than what McSorely and Hunter did.

[Adams Wulff]

53. The suspension and penalties should be thus:

Mr. Bertuzzi,
You are suspended without pay, from the National Hockey League, it's subsidiaries, and affiliates, for a time no less than three days after Mr. Steve Moore scores his next goal in during competitive play, in the National Hockey League.

To the Vancouver Canucks:
Your organization will be responsible for the any and all medical bills incurred by Mr. Steve Moore, resulting from the incident March 8th, 2004. You will also be responsible for a fine not to exceed $1,000,000.00; to be paid directly to Craig Hospital in Denver Colorado, for research and development into new and advanced treatments for injuries not unlike those suffered by Mr. Moore.
Your organization will also be responsible for three times the amount of the remaining contract between the Colorado Avalanche, and Mr. Moore.

Mr. Marc Crawford,
You are hear by relieved of your position as coach of the Vancouver Canucks, and are hear by ordered to never again seek, take, or otherwise associate yourself with the game of hockey, for the rest of your natural life.


Then I would be satisfied.

[BigDaddyLove]

56. Spoken like a true Avs fan..........

:puke:

[rocktivity]

67. I know EXACTLY what Judge Judy would say about this

"BUT FOR YOUR ACTIONS, Mr. Bertuzzi, there would not have been a fight, and Mr. Moore wouldn't have broken his neck! You have a penalty to pay, so PAY IT! Court finds for the plaintiff. Right? PERFECT! Good-byeeeee!"

:headbang:
rocknation

[BigDaddyLove]

72. And to Moore...........

"BUT FOR YOUR ACTIONS, Mr. Moore, there would not have been a sucker punch throw at your head and you wouldn't have a broken neck. You had a penalty to pay, and now you're PAYING IT! Court finds for the plaintiff. Right? PERFECT! Good-byeeeee!"

[EV1Ltimm]

57. I feel bad for Bertuzzi.

he just started a chain of events that got way out of control. lord knows i've been there before, but definitely not this serious.

hearing his apology was really heartbreaking. he's got a definite love for the game and i don't think he intended to knock him out, let alone break his neck.

i feel the fine is a little too stiff. the resulting dogpile probably had more to do with breaking his neck than bertuzzi. he would have gotten a 2 minute penalty under normal circumstances, but like i said, things got way out of control.

...and this is coming from an avs fan.

[BigDaddyLove]

58. No, Moore started a chain of events that led to his.............

eventual face-first dive into the ice when he decided to try and take the head off of one of the most elite and respected players in the NHL.

Moore's aforementioned dive would never have happened if Granato wouldn't have had him on the ice in a 8-2 blowout knowing full well he was a marked man.

[EV1Ltimm]

59. true.

it was asking for trouble.

maybe he thought they got it out of their system earlier in the game?

edit: Naslund went low and got his block knocked off. the hit looked clean enough.

[LagaLover]

60. Gee, your honor

I mean with that little short skirt she was wearing, she was just ASKING for it...

[BigDaddyLove]

64. Too funny...........

I guess you're right; Moore acted like a pussy and got fucked.

[EV1Ltimm]

65. boooo! bad analogy!

let's leave rape apologists out of it, shall we?

[LagaLover]

66. What's wrong with that analogy?

Both involve violent crimes, for which the victim was partially blamed, as an excuse.

[BigDaddyLove]

68. Major difference (thought I'm sure you see it)........

is that in this case the 'victim' was actively involved in bringing this consequence down on himself.

How many more time do you think he'll try to injure another star player?

My guess; zero.

[LagaLover]

70. No, he was just skating at the time

he wasn't actively doing anything else.

[BigDaddyLove]

74. Forget it, you win..........

Todd 'The Rapist' Bertuzzi just decided to attack a completely innocent player and Moore was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[LagaLover]

75. Didn't say he was

a rapist. Made an analogy. Blame the victim. Poor Todd was enticed into attacking a man from behind. It's not his fault he perpetrated a cowardly attack on a defenseless man (yes, he was defenseless at the time), Moore baited him into it by skating ahead of him.

[BigDaddyLove]

77. The only trouble with knee-jerk liberal reactions...........

is that they don't fit every circumstance. This is one of those circumstances.

[LagaLover]

78. So you're okay with cowardly attacks such as this?

I mean a REAL man would have thrown down the gloves face-to-face. Guess we know which Todd is, don't we?

[BigDaddyLove]

79. If Bertuzzi and Moore had actually dropped the gloves..........

which I don't think Moore had the balls to do with Todd in the first place, more than likely Moore would have probably been knocked out just the same.

It's a shame that Moore got seriously injured, but it was more or less a fluke that it happened.

[LagaLover]

81. Then why didn't

Todd do that, instead of doing it the coward's way?

[BigDaddyLove]

88. Todd Bertuzzi is a lot of things...........

but a coward is most certainly not one of them.

Honestly I wish Todd had just dropped the gloves and then dropped Moore, but it didn't happen that way.

[LagaLover]

90. Okay, he's not a coward, he just

acts like one.

[BigDaddyLove]

91. Right.

:boring:

[sendero]

97. That may be true...

... but that would have been Moore's option. He was not given an option and that is the crime.

I've never watched Moore play, if he grabbed someone from behind and sucker punched him, I'd feel the same way about him. If he's taken his own cheap shots but nobody got hurt, well he was lucky and Todd was not. Too fucking bad.

[BigDaddyLove]

102. Actually, Moore's cheap shot..........

gave the Canucks captain (and best player) a concussion, but even so, he did in fact 'get lucky' and didn't get in official trouble...until Bertuzzi decided his luck had run out.

Too fucking bad is right.

[molok555]

106. Let's just say Moore's hit

wasn't a cheap shot. He's a Harvard grad, he can read, he know's the Canucks certainly believed it to be. So, that FIRST rematch, in DENVER, he should've grabbed Bert first chance and dropped 'em. Then he defuses the situation and gains respect. This is how it's done in hockey. You know what you've done and what is expected of you. You bite the damn bullet, take your lumps and that's that. Tension defused. I've seen it 'nuff times to know how it works. But if you shrug it off and try to (literally) skate on by, it all builds. Believe me, if Moore would've done that in Denver, he'd have been a hero, Bert would've been satisfied and all would be done.

That said, Bert deseves his suspension. Meathead.

[EV1Ltimm]

69. i wasn't blaming the victim, i was blaming the coach.

[ZenLefty]

71. Yes. Let's blame anybody but bertuzzi.

Blame anyone but the person who actually did it. :eyes:

[BigDaddyLove]

73. Right, as if the entire incident happened in a vacuum.........

:eyes:

[ZenLefty]

80. bertuzzi made a choice.

He's the one who decided to do what he did. I'm glad he's a big enough person to take responsibility, rather than try to lay blame on these external factors.

Plenty of players get mad in hockey, because of things they think are grossly unfair. Not all of them blindside someone with near deadly force because of it. When you're out on the ice with something in your hands that resembles a medieval weapon, you need to show some degree of control over your anger. There are ways of relieving anger, and the path Mr. bertuzzi chose was not an appropriate one.

If Mr. bertuzzi's actions were deemed appropriate, or simply a minor transgression of the rules, then this incident would repeat itself, with players deliberately injuring other players and blaming the ignominy of a bad call two months ago. And what next? Adam Foote tomohawking the Sedin twins in retribution for bertuzzi's hit? And Cooke spearing the eye out of Foote next season? I don't think the game would have many fans if that were the case. That would be damn ugly.

[BigDaddyLove]

87. Actually, many of the transgressions you mention.........

happen on a day to day basis in the NHL.

The only reason this received any attention (over and above a game misconduct) was because of the extent of Moore's injury.

[EV1Ltimm]

89. enough of this civil discourse stuff,

let's just wrassle.

[BigDaddyLove]

92. Too violent, someone might break a nail.....

:hurts:

[BigDaddyLove]

63. One would hope so but...........

facing an 8-2 deficit on home ice at the tail end of a season against a bitter rival tends to reawaken whatever bad blood one would hope was released earlier on.

[KansDem]

61. I don't know much about hockey, but do know it's a rough sport...

I saw the video from the link provided above.

Whoever the fellow is who threw his right fist belongs in jail.

I don't see how anyone can justify this action. Even in hockey.

[democrank]

76. Bertuzzi`s suspension and the Canuck`s fine

should be the least of it. Lug Bertuzzi off the ice in handcuffs for a start.

I`m fed up with a large portion of our sports culture. Every year more and more bad behavior becomes acceptable. It`s a deplorable example to set for the young ones coming up.

[MrPrax]

84. Might be a good point?

But froghop virtually every player in hockey that has a fight then...

Besides...I agree with Charles Barkley...
Professional athletes are paid to play professional sports--NOT raise children...

[AngryAmish]

86. I disagree about sports violence getting worse

Many, many more scraps in hockey in the past. One of the longest suspensions by the NHL was by the beloved Eddie Shore.

Baseball? What about Ty Cobb going after fans in the stands (more than once) or playing with sharpened spikes? Or that pitcher (Juan Marical?) hitting that guy with the bat in the 60s?

Football? "They Call Me Assassin" from the 70s. And there have always been bounties in football.

I submit that hockey in particular is less violent today and has trended that way for a long time. Society is not breaking down in the sports arena. There have always been shocking incidents. We just hear about more of them thanks to national cable news and ESPN.

[Shadder]

93. Not trying to defend him here, but...

Keep in mind this is coming from a life long Red Wings fan. Yes the hit was horrible, and yes the suspension is not strong enough. Yeah, you could make a case for a lifetime ban but I doubt that will happen. But the thing that your all missing is that the suspension really was the right thing to do. Lets say that he had suspended him for the remainder of this season as he did, and then tacked on all of next season as well. Thats fine, it might be fair...but there is as most of who follow Hockey, a real strong chance that next season may not take place due to labor contract issues. So why take the chance of kicking him out for a season that never happened?

Next point. Again, yeah a horrible hit but just like with everything else in life, remember that every story has two sides to it. Thats in no way attempting to justify it, but it did happen for a reason. So rather than just show this hit, lets start by looking at the original incident that set this entire thing off.

[BigDaddyLove]

94. No, showing the hit Moore placed on Naslund.........

would put Bertuzzi's action in more of a context, and context is not at all what most on this thread want.

Just an aside....the punch itself was not 'horrible', what was horrible was that Moore got as hurt as he did; if not for said injury there wouldn't be much of an uproar.

I just wonder how people would feel if Naslund was the one who received a broken neck from Moore's headhunting instead of JUST a concussion.

[Andyjunction]

98. Naslund

Moore's hit on Naslund was clean. Find a clip and show it here and everyone will ask what's the big deal? Your guy got knocked out for three games from a clean albeit freakish collision. Anyone watching it would agree.

[BigDaddyLove]

99. My guy?

Sorry Cuz, I don't have a horse in this race.

There's clean and then there's clean. Purposefully laying your shoulder into someones head is not clean, even if it wasn't penalized by the NHL...thankfully in this case, justice was served by the Canucks.

[Andyjunction]

108. Sorry then

I thought it was a safe assumtion that you were a Canucks fan since basically nobody else would have the audacity to say that Moore had a broken neck coming to him for his hit on Naslund.

Why didn't they get their revenge when they played in Denver by the way? Chickenshit seems the obvious answer.

[BigDaddyLove]

109. So I'm guessing you're saying that the Avalanche aren't......

a bunch of pussies.

I guess you're entitled to that opinion.

Furthermore, I HOPE you're not suggesting that ANY Vancouver player is even remotely afraid of Steve 'ouch my neck' Moore...hell, even Dan Cloutier would beat his punk ass.

[Andyjunction]

112. No

I'm saying they were afraid to get their retalliation while they were in Colorado, they wanted to wait until they were on home ice.

Steve "ouch my neck" Moore... are you some kind of sociopath?

[BigDaddyLove]

113. Yeah, afraid of the Avs.......right........

No, I'm not a sociopath, just a lunatic remember?

[Andyjunction]

115. Whatever

What do you call the inability to empathize with others? I thought it was sociopath but that word doesn't show up on Merriam-Webster. Well, whatever it is, I think you should seek professional help.

[BigDaddyLove]

116. And I think that you should go up to...........

Bertuzzi and piss him off.

[Andyjunction]

118. Actually

I always liked Bertuzzi and the Canucks. I don't want revenge on him but then, I'm not a sociopath.

[BigDaddyLove]

119. Sociopath, smociopath..........

You're an Avs fan, and that's enough for me to know.

Later geek.

[Shadder]

103. Whos guy?

I'm a Red Wings Fan.

[Adams Wulff]

104. I would think we would all still be here, saying the same things...

Only changing the names to fit the circumstances.

And you would still be a lunatic.

[BigDaddyLove]

105. Well, I'd much rather be a lunatic.......

than an Avs fan....at least I could blame my lunacy for irrational nonsense.

[Shadder]

117. As a Red Wings fan....

Somehow I can relate to that statement.

[molok555]

100. As a Canuck fan,

I feel I should weigh in here. Bert is an idiot. I've heard enough stories around town that I don't need to see him attack Moore to confirm that. He's your typical dumb jock. And his suspension is proper. As for him just dropping the gloves and going with Moore, ummm, he tried. Moore wouldn't. That's why he chased him down the ice. Then he attacked him. Bert is like Lenny from "Of Mice and Men": he honestly doesn't fully understand his own size and strength. If it were Cooke (about Moore's size) or almost anyone who'd done it, we wouldn't be having this debate. It'd have been a 5 min major and that's that. But Bert isn't that size. He is 275 in his equipment and strong as an ox ('bout as smart, too). This is his (and, unfortunately, now his teammates and, to a lesser extent, Canucks' fans') cross to bear. We had a team that was on the verge of something and now we all have to watch it (probably) go down. Oh well. Least our necks aren't broken. But Moore nor the Avs nor the League are entirely blameless here: Moore cheapshotted Naslund. Sorry, but it's the truth. He threw is arm out there hoping to catch Naslund. As Tiger Williams has said, college players don't fully understand the NHL and are NOT tough guys. See, the thing about fighting in hockey is is it makes you responsible. No fighting in the NCAA means players think they are immune, so long as the ref doesn't catch it. Moore should've come out the FIRST game against the Canucks last week, challenged Bert or May (who were the most vocal about revenge), got his ass whupped and been done with it. Say what you want about Claude Lemieux, but this is what he did against the Wings. So no, he isn't blameless. As for Granato, why does he have a marked man on the ice near the end of a blowout? 'Cause he's trying to draw penalties. And the NHL...Moore should've gotten a game for cheap shot. Would it have stopped Bert? Maybe not, but it would've defused the frontier justice mentality.

In the end, Bert gets what is coming to him, both by the league and the cops. We'll have to accept that. I just hope others can as well. And oh yeah, for the record McSorely is NOT American and the prosecution will continue.

[BigDaddyLove]

101. Thank you.

.

[Andyjunction]

107. He did fight.

Moore did fight earlier in the game. Maybe twice, I forget but it should be easy to find out.

And I'm sorry but his hit on Naslund was clean. Naslund was losing his balance and falling back as the two came together and that's why he took the shoulder to his head. Moore was not headhunting. That's my opinion and it's backed up by the fact that the refs didn't call a penalty. You can't say they just didn't see it since Naslund had the puck at the time.

edit: Moore fought once in the 1st period. It was Worrell who fought twice.

[CTLawGuy]

123. Moore's hit was worlds away from Betruzzi's

What Moore did is a natural part of the violent sport called hockey. Naslund had the puck, and Moore shoulder checked him. This is allowed in hockey. Moore was doing this in order to get the puck and influence the game at hand. Even if he had cross checked him (which would be a penalty) and hurt him, it still would not be criminal, because, Naslund had the puck and moore was trying to get it, and because Naslund wasn't being overtly targeted. If the player's intent is to play the game, any injury resulting therefrom should not be considered criminal.

Bertuzzi on the other hand was out for Moore for a while. Moore did NOT have the puck. In hockey it is highly illogical to hit someone who DOESN'T have the puck if you are just trying to play the game, unless Moore was screening the goalie, which I don't believe was the case. (if he was in fact screening the goalie, a good defenseman would push him away, not sucker punch him)). A hockey arena is not exempt from the laws of Canada. What Bertuzzi did was the result of a clear intent to cause harm to Moore and not to play the game of hockey. What he did was OUTSIDE of the nomral course of play. So to me, it doesn't matter where he was on the ice or in a bar a block away, it was still a criminal act.

[YankmeCrankme]

114. Here in Florida...

a young man was just sentenced to 10 years in prison for throwing single punch during a fight that ended up killing the other guy. Convicted of third degree manslaughter, he didn't intend to kill the guy but is now facing the consquences of his unfortunate act. From all accounts he is a fine person, did volunteer work, was working to improve himself going to school and because of a brief act of violence he is now paying a severe price. This other guy breaks someones neck in a premediated act to inflict hurt and he is suspended for 17 games. Go figure.

[pinniped]

121. So he was the "enforcer"?

n/t