Bertuzzi Charged for Steve Moore on ice incident.

[ScottVib]

hxxp://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1845&u=/cpress/20040624/ca_pr_on_na/nhl_bertuzzi&printer=1

Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi charged with assault after on-ice punch

JIM MORRIS

VANCOUVER (CP) - Vancouver Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi (news) was charged Thursday with assault causing bodily harm for his on-ice attack on Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore that left Moore with neck injuries.


The charges were announced by the criminal justice branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General after an investigation that lasted four months.


The attack was witnessed by over 18,000 people at the arena and has been shown repeatedly in television clips broadcast across North America and Europe.


Bertuzzi has been ordered to appear in provincial court July 9.


The March 8 incident left Moore, 25, in hospital with three fractured vertebrae - two cervical vertebrae and a fracture of the transverse process in a thoracic vertebra - facial cuts, significant post-concussion symptoms and "significant amnesia."


Nerves in the neck area were also stretched by the blow.


Doctors say it's not known when, or if, the Windsor, Ont., native can play hockey again.


The National Hockey League suspended Bertuzzi, 29, for the final 13 games of the regular season and Vancouver's seven playoff games.


The suspension cost Bertuzzi $501,926.39 US of his $6.8-million salary. The Canucks were also fined $250,000.


Bertuzzi was also left off Team Canada's roster for this fall's World Cup.


His indefinite suspension won't be lifted until NHL commissioner Gary Bettman holds a hearing with the Canuck star. During a May 25 interview, Bettman gave no indication when that meeting might occur.


Bertuzzi's only public comment was a tearful apology two nights after the incident occurred.


"Steve, I just want to apologize for what happened out there," said the Sudbury, Ont., native. "I had no intention of hurting you. I feel awful for what transpired."


"I don't play the game that way," he added. "I'm not a mean-spirited person. I'm sorry for what happened."


Bertuzzi hired Len Doust, one of B.C.'s most high-profile counsels, to represent him.


During the game, with the Avs already leading 8-2, the six-foot-three, 235-pound Bertuzzi grabbed Moore from behind at 8:41 of the third period.


He sucker-punched the Avs forward on the side of his head and then landed on top of the six-foot-two, 205-pound Moore, driving his head into the ice.


The attack was seen as retaliation for a hit Moore put on Vancouver star Markus Naslund (news) that left the Canuck captain with a concussion and sidelined him for three games.

There is precedent for a hockey player facing charges for his on-ice action.

Most recently Marty McSorely, then with the Boston Bruins, was charged with assault after bashing then-Canuck Donald Brashear (news) with a stick to the head in February 2000.

McSorley was convicted of assault with a weapon and given an 18-month conditional discharge.

Bertuzzi had 17 goals, 43 assists and 122 penalty minutes in 69 games this season.

Moore, who has a degree in environmental sciences and public policy from Harvard, had five goals, seven assists and 27 penalty minutes in 57 games.

[Draft Dodger]

sorry to hear that.

[miked]

I'm not that sorry to hear it. I'm of the "eye for an eye" belief in suspensions. Bertuzzi should come back when Moore does. He can say how sorry he but it's a bold-faced lie. He had every intention of hurting a defenseless player because it would make his team feel better about an 8-2 loss and a fairly legal hit that Moore put on Naslund. Hockey's reputation is always at stake when it comes to incidents like this and if dragging him through a legal battle and suspension battle is what it takes, then that's fine. Besides, there won't be a season anyway :-p

[bbor]

I dunno how i feel about this.

[cthomer5000]

I feel great about this. The bullshit attack from behind has nothing to do with the sport. It was a calculated attempt to hurt a guy, plain and simple.

[Johnny93g]

Good....I hope he's punished to the full extent of the law

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

I feel great about this. The bullshit attack from behind has nothing to do with the sport. It was a calculated attempt to hurt a guy, plain and simple.

Bingo.

Agreed 100%.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by miked

I'm not that sorry to hear it. I'm of the "eye for an eye" belief in suspensions. Bertuzzi should come back when Moore does.

I've never bought this argument. What if Moore had come back in two weeks? Would that have meant Bertuzzi should have only missed a handful of games?

Tie Domi was suspended for 11 games for hitting Neidermayer, who only missed a few games. Does that make what Domi did acceptable? Or should he pay the price for his actions regardless of whether the other guy is lucky enough to avoid a devastating injury?

Originally Posted by miked

He can say how sorry he but it's a bold-faced lie. He had every intention of hurting a defenseless player...

I'd agree with this. His "I never meant to hurt him" defense was incredibly weak.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

I've never bought this argument. What if Moore had come back in two weeks? Would that have meant Bertuzzi should have only missed a handful of games?

Tie Domi was suspended for 11 games for hitting Neidermayer, who only missed a few games. Does that make what Domi did acceptable? Or should he pay the price for his actions regardless of whether the other guy is lucky enough to avoid a devastating injury?

I'd agree with this. His "I never meant to hurt him" defense was incredibly weak.

/agree. I think he meant "I never meant to hurt him that bad".

[Lorena]

Originally Posted by Chubby

/agree. I think he meant "I never meant to hurt him that bad".

EQ player I can see

What the hell does I never meant to hurt him THAT BAD mean? So if he hurt him a little it's okay, even though he attacked him from behind? Why do NHL players attack each other in such a brutal way? Can someone please explain it to me? I won't be satisfied with "its part of the game". Football is a very violent sport, why not condone fighting there??

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Dodgerchick

Why do NHL players attack each other in such a brutal way? Can someone please explain it to me? I won't be satisfied with "its part of the game".

OK, here's a better explanation: it's not part of the game.

That's pretty much it. Stuff like this happens very rarely, despite what you'd think if you only followed the Bertuzzi story. The last comparable NHL incident was four years ago. In four years, how many pitchers have thrown at a guy's head?

Hockey has it's problems, and you could argue about the rules that govern fighting, etc. But to say the players are being "brutal" on a regular basis is just over-reaction.

[Kodos]

I say prosecute him like the attack occurred on the street outside the stadium.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by Dodgerchick

EQ player I can see

What the hell does I never meant to hurt him THAT BAD mean? So if he hurt him a little it's okay, even though he attacked him from behind? Why do NHL players attack each other in such a brutal way? Can someone please explain it to me? I won't be satisfied with "its part of the game". Football is a very violent sport, why not condone fighting there??

But he didn't fight, it was an assault. Fighting definitely is a part of the game.

[SunDancer]

Originally Posted by Karim

But he didn't fight, it was an assault. Fighting definitely is a part of the game.

Now why not charge those who fight with assault? As for it being "part of the game", its not like boxing where you expected to fight.

[Lorena]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Hockey has it's problems, and you could argue about the rules that govern fighting, etc. But to say the players are being "brutal" on a regular basis is just over-reaction.

I guess it was an over-reaction on my part. For one, I'm not a hockey fan, what little I know about hockey I get from the news. Most of the stuff I see are fights...

[Lorena]

Originally Posted by SunDancer

Now why not charge those who fight with assault? As for it being "part of the game", its not like boxing where you expected to fight.

My thoughts exactly

[LionsFan10]

Originally Posted by SunDancer

Now why not charge those who fight with assault? As for it being "part of the game", its not like boxing where you expected to fight.

I don't know, a face up type of fight is different in my opinion then somebody who runs up behind a guy and gives them a shot without them realizing it. If you want to fight with Moore, fine, fight ... the NHL allows that, but don't be an asshole and cheap shot him.

Bertuzzi's hit wasn't the worst thing I've seen in hockey though, how about McSorley (sp?) hitting that guy in the head with his stick and afterward spitting on him, yeah, that's real sportsman-like

It's a hard call either way, because if I were to run up on somebody and not only cheap shot them, but fall on top of them, driving their head in neck into the ground causing the damage that Bertuzzi did, I'd be spending quite a bit of time in jail. The fact that Bertuzzi plays hockey shouldn't protect him from the fact that what he did was not only wrong, but quite malicious and sickening to watch.

[sorrydude56]

if bertuzzi is going to held accountable in a court of law, i think that moore should also be put on trial for his "attack" on Markus Naslund in the previous game between Van and Col. he also went out of his way to attempt to injure a player, which he did and he wasn't even suspended. bertuzzi should be punished, but he was only trying to right a previous wrong. the league is at as much fault as either player is. the nhl curretly idolizes, rewards and advertises brutish play, while it really doesn't provide any incentive to skill players.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by SunDancer

Now why not charge those who fight with assault? As for it being "part of the game", its not like boxing where you expected to fight.

If you really want to go that route, fine. But you'd better apply it to every sport. Charge every pitcher who throws at someone's head, charge every player who runs onto the field for a brawl, charge every safety who cheapshots a QB, every lineman who throws a punch after the whistle, etc.

None of those things are "part of the game" either, but they happen. You haul players into court over everything, you won't have many left to play the games.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I say prosecute him like the attack occurred on the street outside the stadium.

Not exactly. The fact that the hit occured during a game in which slamming into people at a high rate of speed is acceptable is a mitigating circumstance. This act (normal, legal checking that is) would be considered assault if it happened in the streets.

This is not to say that I disagree with him being prosecuted, just that I think it is a different circumstance than me walking up to someone on the street and slamming his head into the sidewalk.

[miked]

Originally Posted by sorrydude56

if bertuzzi is going to held accountable in a court of law, i think that moore should also be put on trial for his "attack" on Markus Naslund in the previous game between Van and Col. he also went out of his way to attempt to injure a player, which he did and he wasn't even suspended. bertuzzi should be punished, but he was only trying to right a previous wrong. the league is at as much fault as either player is. the nhl curretly idolizes, rewards and advertises brutish play, while it really doesn't provide any incentive to skill players.

Actually, his hit on Naslund was pretty clean from what I remember. I believe this will send a good message. Fighting as we all know is part of the sport. But these dirty, malicious attacks with the intent to do bodily harm is way too far. I remember I think it was Dale Hunter or somebody who put that brutal hit on Turgeon when he was celebrating a game winning goal. Turgeon missed a whole lot of time and I felt that Hunter also should have been prosecuted. Fighting and hitting is part of the sport, but to use the "it's all part of the game" BS when your intentions are clearly to use the fact that it's a sport to injure somebody should be punishable.

Interestingly, what about the hit Sapp put on Clifton? It was 20 yards away from the play just about when the play was over. It was clearly Sapp's intention to do as much physical harm as possible and he even admitted as much. A friend of mine who plays football gave me the "it's part of the game" routine...and the whole "Clifton should have been paying attention" bit. When does it go too far?

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by LionsFan10

Bertuzzi's hit wasn't the worst thing I've seen in hockey though, how about McSorley (sp?) hitting that guy in the head with his stick and afterward spitting on him, yeah, that's real sportsman-like

With all the years of coverage of the McSorely incident, this is the first I've ever heard of him spitting on Brashear. Where did you see that?

[SunDancer]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

If you really want to go that route, fine. But you'd better apply it to every sport. Charge every pitcher who throws at someone's head, charge every player who runs onto the field for a brawl, charge every safety who cheapshots a QB, every lineman who throws a punch after the whistle, etc.

None of those things are "part of the game" either, but they happen. You haul players into court over everything, you won't have many left to play the games.

Yes, but the leagues take responsibility and action for such indicients. You are usually ejected, fined/suspended, ect. The NHL does not.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by SunDancer

Yes, but the leagues take responsibility and action for such indicients. You are usually ejected, fined/suspended, ect. The NHL does not.

Bertuzzi received arguably the most severe suspension is the history of North American pro sports. What do you want them to do, put a slug in him?

If you're referring to fighting, sure it's not an automatic suspension/ejection in all cases. Neither is throwing at someone, and neither is a lot of the crap that goes on on a football field. I see things in other sports that would get you kicked out of a hockey game, just like there are things in hockey that aren't tolerated in other sports. Sports are allowed to be different... aren't they?

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Sports are allowed to be different... aren't they?

Yes, they are. I tried to make that point earlier. I think this is not nearly as heinous as the same act occuring between two people outside the context of professional sport. That does not mean it is by definition not criminal. While I think violent acts that take place in the context of occuring in a game of high speed collisions need to be considered differently than those that don't, I don't think you can give hockey players a blanket pass to do anything they want to each other, either. The "courts should stay out of sports" theory implies that sort of blanket immunity.

I don't think you would disagree that if a hockey player were to beat another player with his stick until he was lying unconscious on the ice - and then continue to beat him until he was dead - that would constitute criminal conduct.

Now that we all agree that a line exists beyond which on field conduct becomes criminal behavior, what we are left with is varying opinions on exactly what that line is. Most (here anyway) would apparently draw it somewhat short of where you would. There are some who might even disagree with my death scenario requiring criminal prosecution.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Bertuzzi received arguably the most severe suspension is the history of North American pro sports. What do you want them to do, put a slug in him?

Only if he goes to the Wings.

SI

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Samdari

Yes, they are. I tried to make that point earlier. I think this is not nearly as heinous as the same act occuring between two people outside the context of professional sport. That does not mean it is by definition not criminal. While I think violent acts that take place in the context of occuring in a game of high speed collisions need to be considered differently than those that don't, I don't think you can give hockey players a blanket pass to do anything they want to each other, either. The "courts should stay out of sports" theory implies that sort of blanket immunity.

I think you and I are pretty much in agreement here. My response was aimed at SunDancer, who seemed to be suggesting that the courts become involved whenever a hockey fight breaks out. To me, that's a gross over-reaction. But yes, there should a line somewhere and I think your example illustrates that.

[miked]

I don't think they should be involved when a fight breaks out, but they should be involved when somebody goes above and beyond "playing the game" which in this incident was clearly the case. What if we just create a line whose sole purpose is to elbow people in the face and try to break a nose or eye socket or something. It's just a sport...