NHL suspends Bertuzzi through Stanley Cup Playoffs

[Don]

We were discussing this at break today and we seemed to more or less come to an agreement.

When I was doing some research for a couple of last night's trivia questions I looked at what people usually got for sucker-punches. Three games. Two games. Mostly because the guy got up on his own power. No permanent damage done. I think ALL OF THOSE CASES SHOULD HAVE BEEN 12+ GAMES THEMSELVES.

I also think that those caught drunk driving should be given the same sentence as those caught drunk driving after hitting someone. You committed an act that could have killed someone.

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There are a number of people saying "this is too long considering what people have gotten in the past". Good. What people got in the past was way too lenient, OBVIOUSLY not working, and someone has to up the punishment to a point where players might actually have some kind of deterant.

[Jimmy Leeds]

Didn't McSorley get a one year suspension?

[Risky]

Everyone's all but forgotten the Domi incident. He's just as much a coward as Bertuzzi is. I'm just happy that the Leafs will never win the cup with him on the team, as the Hockey Gods Have Spoken .

[redruM]

I respectfully disagree Red, This is just as bad or worse than the McSorley thing. the reason being this, Yes Bertuzzi tried to get Moore to fight I agree, then why not skate in front of him drop your gloves and Pummel him whether Moore fights back or not?? Dont tell me he couldnt get in his face. I remember after the Domi incident with Neids McKnzie just dropping the gloes and pummeling him Domi didnt even try to fight. thats fine That is face to face and Jimmy Dropped the gloves. Bertuzzi hits him with a gloved fist to the side of the face from behind. I have been face washed with an open glove, but try being punched in the head with a gloved fist. It can hurt you just as much as McSorleys swing of the stick. I saw that incident over and over and yes McSorley hit him but he didnt wind up like a baseball bat either. And Brashear did get up. The point is Gloved fist from behind swinging stick same thing cowardly premeditated cheap moves. Both deserved the same punishment.

PA if this happen on the street,

Bertuzzis is an assualt,

McSorley is an assault w/ a deadly weapon...

The 2nd seems far more severe to me....

No I never played comeptetive hockey, so I cannot speak form expereicne, can some tell me if getting hit w/ gloves on is worse then getting hit w/ bare knuckles, I honestly have no idea.....

[PaDevsFan]

In my opinion it is and much more so. I wont say it is more severe than being hit with a stick, but again the stick incident wasnt a 2 handed ful chop either. So as far as gloves vs bare knuckles ye Gloves is more severe. Remember red, these arent boxing gloves, full of soft padding. These are gloves meant to protect for being "slashed with a stick" or "hit with a puck" So the "padding" is hardened. Just feel the knuckles of a hockey glove. I think or at least my opinion is being hit with a glove is more severe. Why would the Players drop their gloves if it wasnt??

[SpeakoftheDevil(s)]

Todd Bertuzzi never intended to break Moore's neck. It is horribly unfortunate it happened, by everyone's account. All Bertuzzi wanted to deliver was a few lumps and a clear message, I think we all know that. The being said, the fine and suspension are on the light side in my opinion. The public relation issues the NHL has been facing can be indentified in many of the problems the league is facing as a whole. The biggest of which, arguably, is the violence. And despite the fact that I am a big fan of the "roughness" of Hockey and in particular of Todd Bertuzzi, the sports future is more important. This issue needed to be addressed and handled forcefully. I genuienly believe the league's ability to survive depends on how it handles these situations and Bettman knows it.

[Pepperkorn]

Personally I am satisfied with this - the door is open for a more severe punishment should Moore's condition not improve. They managed to learned from the past while basically staying consistant with it.

I hate this make an example of someone crap society at large seems to love so well. It's such a nice dumbass fit with the pandemic cry of entitlement.

[Don]

Todd Bertuzzi never intended to break Moore's neck.

"When I hit him in the knee with the lead pipe I only meant to bruise it, not break the knee cap."

[SueNJ97]

Todd Bertuzzi never intended to break Moore's neck. It is horribly unfortunate it happened, by everyone's account. All Bertuzzi wanted to deliver was a few lumps and a clear message, I think we all know that. The being said, the fine and suspension are on the light side in my opinion. The public relation issues the NHL has been facing can be indentified in many of the problems the league is facing as a whole. The biggest of which, arguably, is the violence. And despite the fact that I am a big fan of the "roughness" of Hockey and in particular of Todd Bertuzzi, the sports future is more important. This issue needed to be addressed and handled forcefully. I genuienly believe the league's ability to survive depends on how it handles these situations and Bettman knows it.

I don't care if he intended to break his neck or not. He did break his neck as a result of his attack. Bertuzzi DID intend to attack him. Whatever results from that attack becomes his responsibility. It's called being an adult. As they say, "Intent follows the bullet". In this case, intent follows the sucker punch, the push to the ice, the shove of Moore's head into the ice...need I go on???

[halfsharkalligatorhalfman]

i think it's a fair punishment.

basically anything less i would have been outraged. He had to miss the playoffs. Anything more up to 30 games onto next season it wouldn't have really mattered. I would maybe give him 10 games into next season just so it's still hanging over his head a little more in training camp. But I think the NHL made the proper call.

A full calender year would be an overreaction in my opinion.

edit: and banning him from hockey would have been an insane overreaction.

Edited March 11, 2004 by halfsharkalligatorhalfman

[BlueSkirt]

Didn't McSorley get a one year suspension?

Yes, Jimmy.

They always say it was 23 games, but it was rest of regular season (not sure if bruins would've made the playoffs that year).

Then he was to re-apply for reinstatement, but never did.

But it was a one-year suspension, if i remember correctly.

[Swede]

A. The Crime.

B. The Result.

The crime, in his case, was a suckerpunch cheap shot, and then a player literally driving another player's head into the ice. He didn't use his stick, and he didn't do it after a play was completed (like Hunter did to Turgeon in the playoffs).

OK, I just feel that I need to comment on this Crime/result reasoning.

WARNING! BAD ANALOGY HERE!

By your reasoning here, if I shoot somebody, I should be charged with the shooting whether the guy I shoot dies or not. Do you think that if I punch a guy and his nose starts to blead or if I punch the guy so he falls and breaks the neck is the same crime?!?

Sorry, I do not buy that kind of reasoning. there should be a higher penalty when injuring sombody than from intent to injure. Whether he broke his neck from the punch or not is irrelivant, the broken neck is the result of the punch, unintended or not.

[BlueSkirt]

I wonder if Bertuzzi will be eligible to play in the World Cup later this year?

If i remember right, there is no rule that says he cannot.

[sheeps]

Bertuzzis is an assualt,

McSorley is an assault w/ a deadly weapon...

The 2nd seems far more severe to me....

I don't buy your logic. I could come up to you and hit you in the butt with a baseball bat, realistically not doing much harm. Or I could come up to you and attempt to break your neck with my fists alone.

In your logic, I'd be punished more for swinging at your butt with a baseball bat than breaking your neck with my bare hands.

That's why the outcome (extent of the injuries) is ESSENTIAL to these cases.

You keep arguing about the McSorly incident. Brashear did not get that hurt! Sure, he could have gotten very hurt, but he didn't. Likewise, Moore could have only received a concussion, but he didn't - he got a broken neck.

I can't see how you can separate the two. You're oversimplifying it by negating the importance of an essential factor. The extent of the injury is crucial!

"seems far more severe to me...." Well, what was more severe, Brashear's injuries or Moore's injuries? That is the bottom line, right there.

P.S. If you're getting a glove or a fist, it's a fist (that hurts more).

But if you're getting a glove plus a 6-3, 235 pound guy forcing your head down to the ice, quickly, in a way where your neck is going to at least suffer severe whiplash - I'd take the fist.

[CRASHER]

I also think Bettman left the true extent of his punishment open based on what

happens with the league in the lockout... say he suspends him for this season AND

the next one, but the next NHL year isn't till 2006-07 ?? It's an unusual thing in

this case....

I can't see team Canada putting him on the team now eligible or not.. it's just the

wrong thing to do and image to project....

[David Puddy]

The whole glove vs. fist thing is moot. It's not like we're talking about a bruise here... we're talking about a punch that forced Moore's head forward. There's very little cushioning on a hockey glove, so most of the forward force is still going to be applied, just over a greater area than if you hit with the knuckles.

[Triumph]

The NHL gets this one right.

If Vancouver makes it to the 2nd round, Bertuzzi should be re-instated when the NHL continues.

Did he intend to break Moore's neck? No. Did McSorely intend to hit Brashear in the face? No, his stick slid up from his shoulder.

But had Bertuzzi been following Moore around the ice, trying to fight him, yes.

It's the premeditation and vigilante justice that the NHL wants to get rid of. Bertuzzi was angry that his team was down 9-2, and wanted a piece of Moore for this Naslund hit. Moore wouldn't fight.

Edited March 11, 2004 by Triumph

[LOTCB]

My feeling is this, noboby will ever be completely happy with this ruling, because everyone is mad right now, you hear it in JD's voice, Darren Pang, and others, this was a horrible incident...

I bet if you ask any NHL player though "Would you rather be suspended for 40, 50 regular season games, or suspend for 13 + the entire NHL playoffs, Id be willing to bet most would take the 40, 50 in the regular season, and I bet Bertuzzi's teammates deep down inside are very disappointed in the fact that he has probably cost them any chance of making a deep run in the postseason, that and that fact Todd's image is destroyed are more severe then the actual suspension IMO.

Edited March 11, 2004 by Legend Of the Clown Banner

[Pepperkorn]

Not that I WANT this to happen mind you... but part of me thinks it would be mighty funny if Vancouver won the Cup and Bertuzzi couldn't get a ring ... couldn't get his name on the Cup... Couldn't even be there to celebrate! Would he Pete Rose it and beg for his name on the Cup anyhow because he's so great and DESERVES to be there even though he'd have not played a single game -- as PUNISHMENT? Deserves to be there because Vancouver won it DESPITE his stupidity? Man now THAT would seriously hurt the guy... I mean seriously -- so he'd be so angry his true feelings would come out. Would he say "Man I deserved this for that stupid sucker punch" or would he be whining his freaking head off on how unjust it all was?

[redruM]

In my opinion it is and much more so. I wont say it is more severe than being hit with a stick, but again the stick incident wasnt a 2 handed ful chop either. So as far as gloves vs bare knuckles ye Gloves is more severe. Remember red, these arent boxing gloves, full of soft padding. These are gloves meant to protect for being "slashed with a stick" or "hit with a puck" So the "padding" is hardened. Just feel the knuckles of a hockey glove. I think or at least my opinion is being hit with a glove is more severe. Why would the Players drop their gloves if it wasnt??

Wasn't a 2 handed full chop.. why becuase he didn'thold the stick over his head, he took a full swing, maybe nit fullspeed, but certainly hard enough to knoack a very big man unconscious!!!!

How can anyone compare being hit w/ a stick FROM BEHIND to be punched???

[redruM]

Did he intend to break Moore's neck? No. Did McSorely intend to hit Brashear in the face? No, his stick slid up from his shoulder.

Not sure what clip you saw, but he hit him in the ehad, not the shoulder....

[COdevsfan]

Burke is holding a press conference right now - being covered on ESPN News. I tried to type some things down while he was talking - I'm not real good at transcription but here it is:

I missed the first couple of comments but he is defending Bertuzzi as a person and blasting the media for their treatment. He refused to comment on the fairness of Bertuzzi's punishment because he will have to plead his case to the league in the summer.

Shocked by the size of the fine for the team and implications that Crawford did anything wrong.

If he could take blame to take heat off Bertuzzi he will take blame.

Team needs to move on, players need to stop focusing on incident, and focus on regular season and playoffs.

Has spoken to Todd - who is devistated. "a quality hockey player who make a mistake." "He's not that kind of player he's not that kind of person"

Would not comment on the appeal process or if the team is going to take action in them.

(He's a little angry with the media!)

[Weekes Head]

Bertuzzi is a jackass. He said it was not his intent to break Moore's neck.

I believe that.

However, IT WAS HIS INTENTION TO HURT MOORE. You do not go out and say what he said beforehand and then grab the guy from the back of the sweater (so he cannot get away) and then sucker punch him to the side of the head.

What the hell was he expecting to happen? Is he that dumb to think Moore wouldn't get hurt? I understand he didn't think it would result in a broken neck, but it certainly would have resulted in SOMETHING.

Bertuzzi is wrong, very wrong. He should be punnished for his wrongdoing.

You must think about the possible consequences of an action before you carry that action out. The broken neck resulted from his action. He should pay for that, whether he intended to break Moore's neck or not. It is the result of the action, not the intent.

[Triumph]

Watch the McSorley thing again Red, you're forgetting that McSorley does *not* swing at him, but rather he jabs his stick up at Brashear. He was trying to hit his shoulder, but instead the stick deflects off the shoulder and goes right into the temple of Brashear.

McSorley got what he deserved, because he never should have been doing that in the first place. When a player makes a dangerous play like that, whatever the consequences are, it's that player's fault. Bertuzzi decided to sucker punch the guy, he gets what he deserved. There's no place in the game for a punch like that, and then to drive Moore into the ice was adding injury to injury.

['7']

I would've settled for 10-12 games for Bertuzzi. Basically it was just a punch that snowballed out of control. Of the million glove to head punches thrown in the NHL this year, this one ended up with the recipient breaking his neck.

of course it was his intention to hurt moore, but you can attach intent to injure for just a simple bodycheck. He wanted to send a message to Moore, not cripple him. A bodycheck results in something, sometimes a fight results in a broken nose. Should we ban those too? Guys are going to get punched, and once in a while this happens. We have to deal with it.