NSR: Bertuzzi should be tossed out of the game

[DaveTV]

Broke Steve Moore's neck with a cheap shot!
No room for this shit..
http://www.foxsports.com/netapp/blob...216206_7_3.jpg

[Unorthodox]

I saw it too and agree whole heartedly. Ironically enough there is this clip of Bertuzzi being interviewed after the incident where Marty McSorely hit Donald Brashear in the head with his stick knocking him out cold. Bertuzzi was saying something to the effect of "It is disgusting. There is no room in the game for stuff like that."

One thing that I always like about hockey was that there was an "honor" in the game where if guys are gonna fight they square off and do it. Cheap shots like that are for spineless cowards. If you want to "get some guy back" for a clean but hard open ice hit then do it within the rules of the game.

[The AD]

I really hope Bertuzzi is tried for assault. The fact this happened during a sporting event is no excuse. I disagree with people who say "fighting is part of the game." It isn't. It may be inevitable in such an aggressive contact sport, but it isn't part of the game.

Quote from Trevor Linden: "If most people knew how upset Todd was by the result of what happened they would have a different view on things." BS. I'm sure there are lots of people who feel regret after they murder someone, too.

[Canuk]

Originally posted by Unorthodox
Cheap shots like that are for spineless cowards. If you want to "get some guy back" for a clean but hard open ice hit then do it within the rules of the game.

I'm going to guess that you were probably one of the first people jumping up to defend Hextall and his patented two handers 30 feet out of the crease, weren't you?

Bert should sit at least until the begining of the second round of the playoffs - maybe for the rest of the season. He didn't intend to hurt the kid though, just teach him that there is a 'code' in hockey, and a rookie taking a run at a superstar and hitting him with a cheap shot isn't a part of said 'code'.

[CaddyDaddy77]

Originally posted by Canuk
I'm going to guess that you were probably one of the first people jumping up to defend Hextall and his patented two handers 30 feet out of the crease, weren't you?

Bert should sit at least until the begining of the second round of the playoffs - maybe for the rest of the season. He didn't intend to hurt the kid though, just teach him that there is a 'code' in hockey, and a rookie taking a run at a superstar and hitting him with a cheap shot isn't a part of said 'code'.

With you on this for sure.
There is a code and most abide by it, Bertuzzi went to far and let emotions get the best of him.
I think he should sit the season given the nature of the injuries, it's not like he gave the guy a couple of lumps he broke his frigin neck.

[Ireallyliketoski2]

He should be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

[DaveTV]

just teach him that there is a 'code' in hockey, and a rookie taking a run at a superstar and hitting him with a cheap shot isn't a part of said 'code'.

I don't buy that. These guys have been playing hockey since they were 5. They know the code. You don't ATTACK SOMEONE WHEN THEY AIN'T LOOKIN. Chickenshit. Bertuzzi should "know the code". And being a "superstar" and "rookie" have nothing to do with it.

[Honc]

Originally posted by Canuk
I'm going to guess that you were probably one of the first people jumping up to defend Hextall and his patented two handers 30 feet out of the crease, weren't you?

Bert should sit at least until the begining of the second round of the playoffs - maybe for the rest of the season. He didn't intend to hurt the kid though, just teach him that there is a 'code' in hockey, and a rookie taking a run at a superstar and hitting him with a cheap shot isn't a part of said 'code'.

I'm as big a hockey fan as they come, and am a proponent of hockey code. That said, I can't believe you're serious. You have to protect your superstars, but you do that by fighting, finishing your checks and even taking a run at a guy.

How can you support an argument that he "didn't intend to hurt the kid," Bertuzzi too a run at him from the blind side, dropped a full-swing haymaker into his temple and then followed through, driving his head into the ice. Year suspension. Simple.

Moore didn't even throw a cheap-shot at Naslund, he stepped up at center ice when Marcus had his head down and laid a clean hit on him. I am all for teaching this kid a lesson, but have Bertuzzi drop his gloves and pummel him like a man.

This punch is the most cowardly form of "enforcement" that the NHL has seen to date, and it is slowly becoming the standard. The league needs to make a statement that you cannot protect your players in a cowardly way. They have been good about allowing fighting to continue, but the cheap shots have got to go. Read this sentence and then tell me what crosses your mind:

Todd Bertuzzi skated full steam cross-ice, wound up and drilled Steve Moore in the side of the head, breaking his neck.

That isn't hockey.

[Viva]

I had the chance to watch ESPN classics last week and a game from the 1964 Stanly Cup was shown. I couldn't help but notice the marked difference between eras. Sure, there was some checking and hard hits back then, but nothing gratuitous like in today's game.

[Dexter Rutecki]

To add onto what Honc said--I think you should look again at what this was supposedly retaliation for. Moore wasn't trying to injure Naslund, from the replays I've seen. If Naslund hadn't been leaning way forward at the time, he probably would have been fine. There's no rule, though, that you have to stay out of someone's way if they're leaning forward and going for a puck that's almost out of their reach--even if it is a superstar and the other guy's a rookie.
Then look at exactly what Bertuzzi did--not only did he land a haymaker on the side of the guy's head from behind, but he was holding his jersey from the back at the same time. And then, of course, he rode him into the ice. And all that after Moore had already fought in the first period. It's definitely bullshit, but I don't know about legal action.

[Squirrel99]

yeah that hit was about the biggest load of crap I've seen in hockey. bastard deserves to sit the rest of the season for certain.
it's one thing to enforce, but another with malicious intent. heard on tv some of the vancouver players had been talking about 'teaching him a lesson' prior to the game. Usually when the other player is laying face down in a pool of blood and not moving- it's a sign to stop beating the crap out of someone.

[Canuk]

Maybe I didn't make myself clear....let me try to do a bit better.

I am not saying that what Bertuzzi did was clean, or right, or acceptable within the game of hockey (or life for that matter). I agree that you need to come down on this type of action swiftly, and appropriately.

That said, I don't believe that Bertuzzi was out to injure this kid. The way I see the play is that he grabbed his sweater to try and get him to turn around, took a swing (definate cheap shot) and momentum carried him forward. It certainly was cheap, definately deserving of a suspension, but he wasn't trying to end the guys season or career.

Honc - you are right to say this is a cowardly way to enforce, and to try and protect star players. I will not argure with anyone who says that.

I guess the only point that I was trying to make was that this most likely wasn't a premeditated - lets go out there and try to f*ck this guy up - act.

[DaveTV]

If they were talking about "teaching him a lesson" BEFORE the game, then it WAS premeditated..

[rip]

Beating the living shit out of Moore may have been premeditated but there is no way that the intent of that hit was to seriously injure him. Yes it was a cheap shot from behind, but to me it looked like bertuzzi was just getting in the first shot and expected Moore to turn around arms swinging so they could go at it. I mean what are they chances that if you take a swing at a guy wearing a helmut with a gloved hand that you are gonna knock him out with one punch? Then momentum took them both to the ground and Bertuzzi landed on more still expecting him to jump up and start fighting.


If the league didnt have the Instigator rule this would have never have happened like it did, Bertuzzi should be suspended for a long while, but it seems to be more of a freak accident than a premeditated hit to take him out of the game.

[DaveTV]

Dude, watch the film - it wasn't the PUNCH the broke his neck, he slammed his head to the ice AFTER the punch,(no he wasn't turned around either, all from behind..) Then proceeded to continue pummeling him while he was face down, helpless with a broken neck..

[Crinkle]

Originally posted by DaveTV
Dude, watch the film - it wasn't the PUNCH the broke his neck, he slammed his head to the ice AFTER the punch,(no he wasn't turned around either, all from behind..) Then proceeded to continue pummeling him while he was face down, helpless with a broken neck..

yeah it looked like he was out cold before he hit the ice. Sucker punch in the temple tends to do that to a guy. Sportscenter ran a highlight reel of the most brutal/illegal hits of all time. Not the worst but definitely up there. It wasnt as bad as some of the times that players purposely hit other players in the head or face with their stick, but as far as hits goes, i would put it up there.

[778skier]

Originally posted by DaveTV
If they were talking about "teaching him a lesson" BEFORE the game, then it WAS premeditated..

Ever seen the movie Slapshot?, May's comments were a joke, quoted from that movie. Dont forget this isnt the first game they've played against them since the naslund incident.

Moore's hit on Naslund was cheap, you can't be chasing a puck, see a star player in the corner of your eye, then decide the puck isnt important, and turn to hit the guy blindside when you see he's not looking. That is cheap. Did it deserve retaliation? hell yea. Did he deserve to have a broken neck?, not necessarily but should he have expected that something like that could possibly happen, yes he should've.

There's a thousand ways this could've been prevented, had moore not been on the ice, or had the league given him a penalty or suspension are too major ones that stick in my mind.

If you get in a fight at a bar, and you run and punch a guy, your momentum carries you both to the floor and the guy lands on a broken bottle which kills him did you intend to kill the guy? No way, you intended to scrap with him, but shit happens. Should you be blamed for that shit?

[Canuk]

Originally posted by DaveTV
Dude, watch the film - it wasn't the PUNCH the broke his neck, he slammed his head to the ice AFTER the punch,(no he wasn't turned around either, all from behind..) Then proceeded to continue pummeling him while he was face down, helpless with a broken neck..

Dude, are you a doctor? Do you know exactly where in this whole mele that one of his vertebrae was fractured? It was an unfortunate accident, but an accident (refering to the injury) none the less.

[The AD]

Originally posted by 778skier
If you get in a fight at a bar, and you run and punch a guy, your momentum carries you both to the floor and the guy lands on a broken bottle which kills him did you intend to kill the guy? No way, you intended to scrap with him, but shit happens. Should you be blamed for that shit?

I would say yes.

[Skidawg]

Sports has usually been consistant for punishing the act, rather than the consequences. Comparing sports acts to "real life" examples has never, will never, and is never relevant. They're two entirely different worlds.

Bertuzzi is a huge. His listed weight was 35 lbs. greater than Moore's. I don't believe his intentions were to break his back or knock him out. He'll do his 20-25 games and have to watch his back every time he plays Colorado. That will be sufficent.

Viva - Because of the reduced goal scoring and the excellent special teams that most playoff teams have, playoff hockey is very different from regular season hockey. Overall, fighting and "goon" injuries are down from previous decades as well.
A 1964 Stanley Cup game and division rivalry for playoff positioning are extremely hard to compare.

[fridge]

Originally posted by Honc
Moore didn't even throw a cheap-shot at Naslund, he stepped up at center ice when Marcus had his head down and laid a clean hit on him.

Head down? yes.

Clean hit? No.

Moore threw a hit to the head of one of the leading scorers in the league. Intentional or not, still a head shot that drew blood, and knocked Naslund out for 3 games.

What Bertuzzi did was stupid. I feel sick for both of them (being a big fan of Bertuzzi). But watch highlights of what Matt Johnson did to Jeff Beukeboom. He blatantly punched him in the back of the head, knocked him cold. Beukeboom had concussion problems, ended up retiring. Johnson got 12 games. How can you say Bertuzzi should be kicked out of hockey when Johnson only got 12 games for this? I know Moore is pretty seriously injured, but the incidents are comparable......

[Canuk]

Good point fridge - I had totally forgotten about the Johnson / Beukeboom incident.

The NHL needs to punnish the act, not the concequence, and I am fairly certain (or at least hopeful) they will do that in this case.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Originally posted by 778skier
Moore's hit on Naslund was cheap, you can't be chasing a puck, see a star player in the corner of your eye, then decide the puck isnt important, and turn to hit the guy blindside when you see he's not looking. That is cheap. Did it deserve retaliation? hell yea. Did he deserve to have a broken neck?, not necessarily but should he have expected that something like that could possibly happen, yes he should've.

But that's not what happened. They were both going for the puck, Moore knew Naslund was there and didn't change his path. You don't have to get out of the way for people in this game. If Naslund had been keeping his head up he woulda been OK.
Keep your stick on the ice and your head up, kids!

[jdabasin]

Originally posted by Honc

Moore didn't even throw a cheap-shot at Naslund, he stepped up at center ice when Marcus had his head down and laid a clean hit on him. I am all for teaching this kid a lesson, but have Bertuzzi drop his gloves and pummel him like a man.

True dude!!!! Moore layed a CLEAN hit on Naslund.....verified by the fact that he was never fined or disciplined for the clean hit he laid on him 3 weeks ago. Why didn't the Canucks go after Moore last week in Denver? Instead they waited until a BLOWOUT to try to enact some revenge since the game was long over. Nice job by May also, taunting Aebuscher after he scored the two goals to make it a "close" game at 5-2. Fucking punk. Scoreboard prick....

Lets hope Bertuzzi is out atleast the rest of this season and that the Canucks get hammered in the first round cause the idiot took himself out for the season. Or better yet, they run into the AVs and get swept in 4 games while Moore watches on from the bench and laughs.

[Canuk]

Good luck getting anywhere in the post season with Tommy Salo as part of your dynamic goaltending duo. He's been brutal since he got hit in the head by Belarus.