[ot] bertuzzi jumps moore-> hospital *update on moore*

[cbuckser]

[Q]Hockeyman Wrote:

 What i would like to know is what Moore did to prevoke Bertuzzi to go ballistic in the first place, i know the game before was a huge factor but he must have done something to get Bertuzzi ticked[/Q]

Last night, all Steve Moore did was decline a plethora of invitations to fight (though he did square off with Matt Cooke).  On the shift in which he was injured, two Canucks, including Todd Bertuzzi tried to goad him into fighting.  Immediately before Bertuzzi punched Moore from behind, Moore refused to fight Bertuzzi and tried to skate away from him.

[Al DeFlorio]

[Q]ben03 Wrote:

 http://www.canoe.ca/Slam040218/nhl_van-cp.html


VANCOUVER (CP) --

"On the play, Naslund was stretching for a loose puck. The six-foot-one, 210-pound Moore swerved into the smaller, lighter Naslund at high speed, smashing him with his shoulder and arm. Some television replays indicated Moore might have caught Naslund with his elbow.

 "Moore was not penalized on the play and the league opted not to take any action."

  [/Q]
Didn't see the play and frankly would just as well not.  From this description it sounds a lot like the hit Scott Stevens made on Eric Lindros a few years ago, which no one seemed to take much exception to.  Yes?  No?

[ugarte]

[Q]Al DeFlorio Wrote:Didn't see the play and frankly would just as well not.  From this description it sounds a lot like the hit Scott Stevens made on Eric Lindros a few years ago, which no one seemed to take much exception to.  Yes?  No?
 [/Q]The Naslund play actually didn't look bad to me at all (the injury notwithstanding).  You can watch it without discomfort.  It isn't even in the same league as the thump that Stevens gave to Lindros.

[Al DeFlorio]

[Q]ugarte Wrote:

It isn't even in the same league as the thump that Stevens gave to Lindros.

 [/Q]

Well, Moore's a Harvard gentleman, after all. ::nut::

[cbuckser]

[Q]ugarte Wrote:
 The Naslund play actually didn't look bad to me at all (the injury notwithstanding).  You can watch it without discomfort.  It isn't even in the same league as the thump that Stevens gave to Lindros.[/Q]

The Stevens hit on Lindros was entirely legal, in my opinion.  The Moore hit on Naslund, though not as hard as the Stevens hit, should have been interference because Naslund had never played the puck.  On the other hand, I think that Moore hitting Naslund in the head was mitigated by Naslund having lowered his head while trying to reach for the puck.  If Moore had injured Artem Chubarov instead, there would not have been an uproar in Vancouver.

[jy3]

actually bertuzzi can be blamed for the fracture. the fracture could have happened when he was punched OR when his head hit the ice OR when bertuzzi forced his face into the ice. it is bertuzzis fault.

the stevens hit was a legal, quality hit on a player with the puck who was looking down while skating with the puck

the hit on naslund was interference and naslund did lower himself - but that should have been called.

the hit by bertuzzi was premeditated, a mugging, and followed by him jumping on moore and forcing his face into the ice. that is bad. also if u look at the replay it looks like moore may have been knocked out by the initial blow or at least stunned as he seems to go limp

bertuzzi deserves a suspension like mcsorley. rest of the season + 1 year

[cbuckser]

Matt Johnson received a 12-game suspension for sucker punching Jeff Beukeboom from behind.  Beukeboom suffered a concussion that ended his career.  I suspect that Todd Bertuzzi will be punished more severely, but the Johnson precedent makes a year-long suspension seem too severe, in my opinion.  I think a gloved sucker punch to the head is less egregious than a two-handed slash to the head, and that is why I don't believe that the Marty McSorley precedent is appropriate for this case.

[KeithK]

Anyone who says that the fracture wasn't caused by Bertuzzi is engaging in pointless rationalization.  The fact is that Moore wouldn't have a fractured neck if Bertuzzi hadn't sucker punched and jumped him.  It doesn't matter whether the actual injury happened as a direct result of the punch or his head hitting the ice or the dogpile.  It's Bertuzzi's fault regardless.

Maybe Moore's hit on Naslund was actually interference but that's very different from a dirty hit with intent to injure.  Sounds like Naslund was injured because of an unfortunate coincidence .  Moore was deliberately attacked.

[Josh '99]

Scott Stevens is a dirty headhunter.

Not really relevant, just my $0.02.

[ben03]

[Q]cbuckser Wrote:

 Matt Johnson received a 12-game suspension for sucker punching Jeff Beukeboom from behind.  Beukeboom suffered a concussion that ended his career.  I suspect that Todd Bertuzzi will be punished more severely, but the Johnson precedent makes a year-long suspension seem too severe, in my opinion.  I think a gloved sucker punch to the head is less egregious than a two-handed slash to the head, and that is why I don't believe that the Marty McSorley precedent is appropriate for this case.
 [/Q]

Beukeboom suffered a concussion albeit one that ended his career and Johnson got 12-games ... Moore has a FRACTURED VERTIBRATE and other injuries, he'll be lucky to walk again ... Bertuzzi should get the book thrown at him.

You have to be seriously kidding yourself (and anyone else) if you think that a suspension anything less than Steve Moores's recovery period will suffice. Premeditation carries the most severe penalty in courts and there is no reason that should not be the rule of law in this case.

IMHO, his suspension should last as long as it takes Moore to get back to the way he was prior to the incident ... if he never does then Bertuzzi should not play again either.

Athletics is not an arena that allows an eye-for-an-eye. These guys have to think before you decide to go Gladiator on their opponents ... no matter what the reasoning.

[Jim Hyla]

Interference is rarely called when someone is about to touch the puck. I didn't see the play but if he was stretching to touch the puck, I doubt many refs would call it.

[ben03]

ESPN.com's question of the night:

"How many games should Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi be suspended for knocking Steve Moore unconscious?"
(... forgot to mention breaking his neck?!?)

o 1-10 - 13.0%

o 11-20 - 13.3%

o Regular Season + Playoffs - 32.3%

o One Year - 32.9%

o Not at all - 8.2%

Total Votes:  253,341

see http://msn.espn.go.com/

[Greg Berge]

The retaliation culture is bred deep in junior hockey and the minors, and it's still being rewarded in the NHL and by the media that cover hockey.  The Flyers game a couple nights ago that resulted in the highest single game PIM was reported on ESPN as "ha ha, well, boys will be boys, (wink wink)."  And as sick as it is, the crowds eat it up.  Bootleg fight videos outsell game tapes.  As long as the league figures pummelings are a money-maker, this stuff will keep on happening.  The NHL will wring its hands and act as hypocritical as when the NFL or MLB says they're shocked that there's a drug problem in their leagues.

[Báby_Fan]

On ESPN last night they showed an interview of Bertuzzi after the game with the McSorely hit and he said it was "disgusting" and the "league should crack down on this."

hmmm...

[Jerseygirl]

"Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on MSNBC is leading the show with the Moore-Bertuzzi incident tonight.  It's on at 8 p.m. EST.  Should be a good segment, as Keith's analysis is always sharp.