Jeff W Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Anyone else see the hit Bertuzzi laid on Steve Moore? :shock: I'm a lifelong RedWings fan and certifiable hockeynut, just curious what any other hockey fans, or, what I'm even more curious about, non-hockey fans, thought of the hit. A quick bit of background, a while back in a game between Vancouver & Colorado, Steve Moore(of Colorado) hit Markus Naslund(of Vancouver) and injured him. There was no penalty on the play and no suspension was given but Vancouver promised retribution, rumors of a bounty on Moores head began. Moore is a rookie grinder type of a player while Naslund is a star player and captian of the Canucks so Vancouver didn't like the hit at all. One game between the 2 teams passed but that was in Colorado and a tight game (5-5 tie I believe), Monday night when the 2 teams met again in Vancouver this time and after the game was basically settled (8-2 Colorado at the time) Todd Bertuzzi punched Steve Moore from behind and knocked him out cold. They both collapsed to the ice and Steve Moore suffered chip fractures in both the C-3 & C-4 vertebre which are at the base of the neck and deep facial cuts as well as a concussion. Some people say that Bertuzzi drove Moores head into the ice purposefully and others say that he stepped on a stick which caused him to fall on top of Moore, I've seen pics of Bertuzzi standing on a stick but from the video it looks intentional to me, it also looks like he was trying to punch him again after they hit the ice. I have no doubt that if he knew he knocked Moore out with that first punch he wouldn't have continued but fact is he still almost killed a man and must atone for it. His suspension will be announced at 9am tommorow morning, personally I believe he should be suspended for the rest of this year, playoffs included and pay a hefty fine. Criminal charges are being discussed but I'd rather see the league handle this internally, there's a pretty diverse cross-section here, just curious as to what your thoughts on what the outcome should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrillho Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Huge hockey fan here too....Go Flyers. As for the hit, it was extremely dirty, The suspension I think should be 1 year. It reminds me alot of the McSorley hit on Brahsear a couple years ago, and McSorley's suspension wound up being a year. And I don't think the courts should get involved, even though they will, they did in the McSorley case. And on a personal note, I tried for a month to get Merlot to trade me Bertuzzi in our hockey league pretty much for Recchi and Osgood, Thanks for turning that down Merlot, i pretty much wound up with St. Louis instead :tu: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishepa Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Are we talking about the bloods and crypts here? I wasn't aware that hockey players were so childish as to hold grudges and to have a "bounty" on someones head because of a legal hit. As for the hit that Bertuzzi put on Moore, that was one of the most unproffesional things I have EVER seen, and I honestly don't think he should ever be allowed to play in the NHL ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 I thought the hit was completely fucking disgusting. I was thoroughly embarassed to be a Vancouver fan. A friend of mine and I were watching the game over at his place, and after the incident, we pretty much sat there for the rest of the game in stunned silence. It was a total cheap shot, and that's the kind of bullshit that is ruining the game. This one incident has drained the joy out of watching hockey for me right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whooter Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 I'm a huge hockey fan, and I think what Bertuzzi did was disgusting. He should be done for the rest of this year and the playoffs. I don't know about a year suspension, though. I'm all for having any Av getting his clock cleaned but not in that fashion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff W Posted March 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Originally posted by Whooter@Mar 10 2004, 05:07 PM I'm all for having any Av getting his clock cleaned but not in that fashion... :lmfao: Big Av hater here myself (nice to know they're hated outside of Detroit), even though I hate them I do respect them, don't know that I can say that about Vancouver right about now. I've been to some of my usual hockey message boards and some of the excuses I'm seeing are just shameful; Colorado got what they deserved for running up the score, Colorado got what they deserved for dressing Moore, they knew he was a marked man. :shock: I say suspend him for the remainder of this season and the playoffs and let him apply for re-instatement next year, that way the league can make a decision based on wether or not Moore can ever play again. BTW, I do have the clip of the hit on my harddrive. I'm not going to host it or post a link because the guy did break his neck, but if anyone missed the massive coverage ESPN has been giving it and is interested in seeing it before commenting I can e-mail it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camp Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 I honestly don't think he should ever be allowed to play in the NHL ever again. Agreed. It was much worse than the McSorley hit. Bertuzzi is a great player but he's a bit of a wild card in terms of his temper. This is not the first time he has intentionally injured a player. And to think Brad May plays on the same team -Vancouver is nicely loades with guys you wouldn't want to run into in a dark alley. The NHL needs to make an example of Bertuzzi. A lifetime banishment ought to let everyone know they're serious. The facts of the incident cause me to support legal reprisal against Bertuzzi too. There's ample evidence (other than the video) he had intent to injure, there was no way the Moore could defend himself, Vancouver was loosing 9-2.... McSorley was arrested but it resulted in nothing (suspended sentance?) No matter what happens the NHL needs (IMO) to do two things to improve the game and keep a check on extra curicular violence: 1. Adopt the larger ice found in the international game Nothing will highlight the skilled players more than a larger playing surface. There is a ton of amazing offensive talent in the NHL going to waste on small rinks and less skilled defenses. 2. Let the players fight. Fighting isn't the problem -cheap hits, grabbing, illegal stick use, etc are the real enemy of the NHL. The game needs to return to the days when intimidation kept a player's anger in check. If a player chooses to grab jerseys and trip players he should expect a face-to-face meeting with his opposing enforcer. The intimidating fear of that reprisal kept obscene hits like the Bertuzzi incident from happening. It's a difficult to grap concept for non-hockey fans or people who never played team contact sports. Using aggression to balance violence doesn't seem logical but it works. -and it makes for a much more interesting on-ice product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camp Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 I say suspend him for the remainder of this season and the playoffs and let him apply for re-instatement next year, that way the league can make a decision based on wether or not Moore can ever play again. Realistically, I think that's more likely than a lifetime ban. At the very least, however, he should loose equal time with Moore. If Moore can't play all of next year due to his injuries then Bertuzzi sits out (without pay). Bertuzzi should not be allowed to step on professional ice until Moore is able to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff W Posted March 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 The league tries to hard to cater to new fans who lose interest as soon as their team starts to stink again and constantly ignore their rabid longtime fans. Without having to be held accountable by the opposing teams toughguy far too many players just flail their sticks around without a care or thought as to who they may hit and what damage they may do. Take the Adam Foote hit on Steve Yzerman a month ago, completely accidental but fact is he still knocked one tooth loose and knocked 4 others out of whack after driving them through his lower lip with his stick, and no suspension. I know he didn't mean to do it, he was only trying to lift Steve's stick, but it's just the culture of the league now, No respect for your opponents anymore. Go a few years back when Bob Probert patrolled on Yzermans wing and Foote never would have even thought of trying to lift Yzermans stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlot Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 And on a personal note, I tried for a month to get Merlot to trade me Bertuzzi in our hockey league pretty much for Recchi and Osgood, Thanks for turning that down Merlot, i pretty much wound up with St. Louis instead Getting Belfore for him hasn't paid off, but at least he's not my problem. I'm a fan of hockey fights, but that was one of the cheapest shots I'd ever seen :shock: He deserves what he has coming to him, thats for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamsappel Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 I can't say I'm a big hockey fan. Two things conspired to keep me away: 1) One of my college roomates was a hockey fan. Trouble was, his tv had a flaw in the screen, a few dead pixels about the exact size and shape of a hockey puck. I could never follow the puck as I always watching the black mark, so it was frustrating to watch. 2) I think the last full hockey game I sat down to watch, Clint Malarchuck got his throat slashed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 That hit was totally dirty. he should be suspended the rest of the season/playoffs and get a HUGE fine capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bryan Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 There is no doubt that hit was committed with malice of forethought. I would like to see him criminally prosecuted and banned from the league for the remainder of this season and all of next (without pay, of course). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orpheus Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Originally posted by Whooter@Mar 10 2004, 04:07 PM I think what Bertuzzi did was disgusting. I'm all for having any Av getting his clock cleaned but not in that fashion... My thoughts exactly. This is not anything that the NHL needed now or ever. Bertuzzi should banned, and right now I'm leaning towards thinking it should be a lifetime ban. This was an exceptionally malicious hit and the league would do well to show zero tolerance for such behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 I'm a huge fan of hockey, and I just can't believe something like this could happen on a professional level. I still haven't even seen the actual hit itself, and I'm not sure I even want to. If there are people that aren't fans of hockey, this sort of thing can happen at any level. Last Saturday, Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth were playing, UMD was up 4-1 with less than a minute to go and a UMD player slashed the back of a Wisconsin player's leg just because he hit a UMD player (a clean hit, without any penalty) a period earlier. I love hockey. It is without a doubt my favorite sport to watch and play, but this sort of thing has to stop. This whole, an eye for an eye thing is only going to drive people away from the sport. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamsappel Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Was the hit itself that out of whack (so to speak), or was it just the devastating result that has caused the uproar? I've seen SportsCenter highlights that looked a lot worse to me. Obviously, it was a sucker punch and Bertuzzi drove Moore into the ice and started to hit him again, so I'm not disputing the unethical nature of the hit, but if Moore had been able to come up swinging, would there be this much call for justice? I hate the fighting in hockey. (Conversely, I love the skating in boxing.) I simply can't understand why it is still an accepted part of the game. "Resting" for 3 minutes after your fight doesn't seem like much of a punishment or deterrent. Off topic, but has anyone seen Slap Shot lately? That movie doesn't age well. Seeing Paul Newman slap his girlfriend was kind of a jaw-dropper. Hansen Brothers are still cool, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris F Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 I think the last full hockey game I sat down to watch, Clint Malarchuck got his throat slashed. I didn't remember this, so I did a search on it. :shock: I shouldn't have looked at some of those images I found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camp Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Yea, that was a LOT of blood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff W Posted March 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Originally posted by adamsappel@Mar 10 2004, 11:09 PM Was the hit itself that out of whack (so to speak), or was it just the devastating result that has caused the uproar? I've seen SportsCenter highlights that looked a lot worse to me. Obviously, it was a sucker punch and Bertuzzi drove Moore into the ice and started to hit him again, so I'm not disputing the unethical nature of the hit, but if Moore had been able to come up swinging, would there be this much call for justice? I hate the fighting in hockey. (Conversely, I love the skating in boxing.) I simply can't understand why it is still an accepted part of the game. "Resting" for 3 minutes after your fight doesn't seem like much of a punishment or deterrent. Off topic, but has anyone seen Slap Shot lately? That movie doesn't age well. Seeing Paul Newman slap his girlfriend was kind of a jaw-dropper. Hansen Brothers are still cool, though. Definitely the result, if Bertuzzi's first punch doesn't knock Moore out than he gets his hands up to protect himself on the way down, Bertuzzi gets maybe a game or two suspension but everybody go's home at the end of the day. This was worse because it was premeditated and comes at a time when the NHL really doesn't need any more bad publicity, to me fighting is a nessecary part of the game. If you know someones going to hold you accountable for your actions you're far less likely to swing your stick or jump someone from behind, when I say "hold you accountable" I mean by fighting. 2 guys, face to face, no sticks or sneak attacks involved. Players have no respect for the guys on other teams anymore because they're not afraid, taking out the instigator rule and the 3 fights in one game rule would go a long way towards not only cutting back on the stickwork but also a lot of the hook/hold/interference thats been going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Was the hit itself that out of whack (so to speak), or was it just the devastating result that has caused the uproar? I've seen SportsCenter highlights that looked a lot worse to me. Obviously, it was a sucker punch and Bertuzzi drove Moore into the ice and started to hit him again, so I'm not disputing the unethical nature of the hit, but if Moore had been able to come up swinging, would there be this much call for justice? No, I don't think there would be. I've seen more malicious hits, slashes, attempts to injure, and just plain accidents than that hit was. If Moore had got up and skated off the ice, this would be a near non issue, but since he took an akward fall (caused by Bertuzzi, yes) it seems a lot worse. If you had watched that replay not knowing what had happened and someone told you that Moore got up and was fine you wouldn't be staring in amazment because nobody could have been fine after that vicious of a hit. You can compare it to the McSorely incident if you wish, but there is a big difference in my mind from getting suckerpunched and getting a stick of lumber swung into your face. Bertuzzi should be punished, no doubt, what he did was disgusting and should have never happened, but to give him a lifetime ban is more than a little extreme, and I know that won't happen. Most incidents like this get 10-15 games at the most. If they want to make an example, they'll most likely suspend him the rest of the season and the first round of the playoffs. He is a star player, who puts butts in seats, and makes the odd highlight real, so they do tend to get special treatment (although you could argue they'd be the best people to make examples of). I'd be surprised if it was the whole playoffs, but I'd be shocked if it was anything into next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff W Posted March 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Bertuzzi speaks 3/10/2004 VANCOUVER (CP) - Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi choked back tears Wednesday night as he offered a remorseful apology to Steve Moore for the attack that left the Colorado Avalanche centre in hospital with a fractured neck. "Steve, I just want to apologize for what happened out there," said Bertuzzi, 29, wiping his eyes with a napkin. "I had no intention of hurting you. "I feel awful for what transpired." A small excerpt from the whole article, it's nice to see him come out and express remorse and show a little emotion, he definitely needs to humanize himself now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Sorry but the i dont believe him one second. If you dont want to hurt someone you dont sucker punch them around the head and then fall on the guy capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlot Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Originally posted by CaptDS9E@Mar 11 2004, 07:51 AM Sorry but the i dont believe him one second. If you dont want to hurt someone you dont sucker punch them around the head and then fall on the guy capt I don't know, the guy broke down in tears 3 times. I believe he is truly sorry. Unfortuately, his actions were taken too far, and regardless of his remourse, he needs to be suspended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrillho Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Just heard from Al Morganti, on the Philly radio, Bertuzzi is out the rest of the year and the Playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bryan Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Saying he is sorry at a press conference is expected - I'll be interested to see how long it takes him to face Moore and apologize. That will be the moment that humanizes him a little. **Just read an article on the suspension. Bertuzzi forfeits at least $500,000 in salary. That $$ is to be paid into the Players Emergency Fund. The Canucks are also fined $250,000 for not policing the team after threats were made against Moore. They are effectively out 3/4 of a million dollars. I hope Moore gets to take alot more of Bertuzzi's money in court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.