Should Todd Bertuzzi been banned for life?

[Hostile Offer]

Have you ever seen a situation where a guy is going in for a legal hit, but the guy he's hitting turns his back at the last possible second, turning an otherwise legal hit into a hit from behind? Is every one of those hits dirty, or does the person getting hit bear some responsibility for making themselves vulnerable? What about if you're trying to hit someone and he decides to take a knee at the last second? Dirty hit, or is it an unfortunate outcome from an otherwise benign play? As others have said in this thread, shouldn't we judge the action and not the outcome?

Yes, so why aren't you using the same logic on the Bertuzzi incident?

 

[nhlfan9191]

Exactly. Great post.

The dog pile at the end was probably just as much to blame as Bertuzzi’s sucker punch, and Moore was a rat who had it coming to him, honestly. Never like to see a guy suffer that kind of injury, but this guy constantly targeted star players with cheap shots.

Exactly the way I see it. I wouldn’t wish his injuries on anyone but he was a bum with no talent s*** disturbing and like people say, “You’re asking for it.” He definitely was and he got it. I always found it hard to feel sorry for Steve Moore with how hard he played victim after as well. His hands weren’t clean in that situation at all.

 

[Oddbob]

Like I said. he's been suspended once and doesn't run players from behind. I mean **** he hardly ever been ejected from a game for anything other than fighting. Like twice that I can recall and one of them was rescinded because the NHL deemed it a clean hit. People like you need to come to terms with the fact that hitting hard does not make a player dirty. Doing what Tom ****ing Wilson does makes a player dirty.

The video I showed literally disproves what you said about running players from behind. Secondly, "people like me need" nothing as I love hard hitting, Reaves is nothing more than a cheap, dirty GOON, and gets away with so much garbage. He's just a big bully out there.

 

[lawrence]

He got what he deserved and worse. His name tainted for life because of the Moore hit. Not sure what more you want. There will always be people remembering him for the dirtiest play or one of in nhl history.


Not saying Moore deserves it or not, but he was one of the dirtiest players in the nhl at the time.

FYI, Bertuzzi and Moore situation has been settled.

 

[crazychimp]

Agreed. You do that on the street you go to jail for 15 years...

True, the way I see it is what Bertuzzi did was murder, but what Steve Moore did isn't so innocent either you could say his incidents were attempted murder, one isn't better than the other they're both pretty bad. So in the end you could say they're both shit heads.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

If Pierre Turgeon got a broken neck instead of a shoulder injury, should Hunter be banned for life? You're focusing on the result too much.

I've literally said in this thread that Bertuzzi didn't deserve a lifetime ban, so I'm not sure why you'd assume I'd be in favor of a lifetime ban for Hunter.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

Yes, so why aren't you using the same logic on the Bertuzzi incident?

I'm judging the Bertuzzi incident on the actions of Brad May putting a bounty on Moore's head, the Canucks waiting 3 weeks between the hit on Naslund and trying for revenge, the fight Moore had earlier in the game with Matt Cooke (first guy to challenge him), Bertuzzi trying to challenge a guy 40 lbs lighter to a 2nd fight in a blowout game, then stalking him up the ice and grabbing and punching him in the side of the head from behind.

On the other hand, people are defending Bertuzzi because of the result of Steve Moore's hit on Naslund, not the action. The action of Steve Moore's hit was he leaned in to a vulnerable guy after knocking the puck away.

 

[DANOZ28]

brewtuzzi should have been banned. hes a dispicable human being.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

The goal of hitting somebody is to separate the man from the puck. Naslund put himself in a very vulnerable position, but Moore knew that if he didn't get his guy he would be letting a potential odd man break. Tbh I thought the late jump from Moore was telling that he was actually trying to avoid contact when he realized that Naslund was vulnerable.

And again, he already had the advantage over Naslund in that situation because Naslund didn't even have the puck at the time and Moore beat him too it. Moore knocked the puck away and THEN decided to make the hit when it wasn't entirely necessary.

I'm not saying he should have never thought to hit Naslund. I'm saying he had an option not to and still make a play. And I do not agree with your interpretation he was trying to "avoid" contact.

 

[Legionnaire]

The goal of hitting somebody is to separate the man from the puck. Naslund put himself in a very vulnerable position, but Moore knew that if he didn't get his guy he would be letting a potential odd man break. Tbh I thought the late jump from Moore was telling that he was actually trying to avoid contact when he realized that Naslund was vulnerable.

Realized he was vulnerable? It's ice hockey and it's a really fast sport. You make it seem as though Moore had a couple of hours to comtemplate.

Never mind the fact that Naslund became vulnerable when he reached for the puck at the last second. And let's not forget that Naslund was then waist level to Moore who was already committed to the hit...

So what would you have had him to do? He wouldn't have had time to avoid Naslund even if he totally bailed out and tried to jump over him - and what NHL player would do that any way? Not one who wants a job in the NHL.

It seems as though this always comes down to one silly concept. A concept that deep down says that Naslund should not be hit because he was a star player. That is false.

 

[member 300185]

Just watched a 15 year anniversary video of the Steve Moore incident and feel like I have stronger feelings on this than I ever have. Bertuzzi crossed the line, committed a violent and premeditated assault that cost Moore a potential career and a quality of life for his remaining years, and got a slap on the wrists. Bertuzzi should have been banned from the NHL for the rest of his life.

Do you agree?

If this happened outside of a hockey rink, Bert would be in jail for aggravated assault causing bodily harm. Thats 5 to 15 years with parole after 8 years.

 

[NHL]

If he should have been banned for life, then so should have Byfuglien.



Don't care for punishing based on the extent of the injury rather than the action

aaww yeah right there, Jiri freakin Tlusty

 

[izlez]

Players still regularly try to throw their glove down real quick and throw a punch before the guy has a chance to react and realize that he's in a fight. That's a sucker punch.
Bertuzzi already got more than he deserved

 

[izlez]

If this happened outside of a hockey rink, Bert would be in jail for aggravated assault causing bodily harm. Thats 5 to 15 years with parole after 8 years.

What is your point? You could say the same about every hockey fight. And probably every slash and high stick. And probably every body check.

 

[King Mapes]

Agreed. You do that on the street you go to jail for 15 years...

You get 15 years for punching someone in the back of the head?

 

[King Mapes]

aaww yeah right there, Jiri freakin Tlusty

Lol I remember the handles he had at times. One he completely undressed the other team and the guy on TSN says “he undressed everyone... except himself this time”.

 

[King Mapes]

If this happened outside of a hockey rink, Bert would be in jail for aggravated assault causing bodily harm. Thats 5 to 15 years with parole after 8 years.

People that keep posting this stuff don’t understand how he got hurt. He got hurt from the dogpile not the punch.

 

[Muffin]

People that keep posting this stuff don’t understand how he got hurt. He got hurt from the dogpile not the punch.

If I pushed you onto the road and you got hit by a car, it wasn't my push that hurt you, it was the car.

 

[Muffin]

You get 15 years for punching someone in the back of the head?

If you punch someone in the back of the head and drove it to the ground I'd consider that attempting murder.
Does no one realize it wasn't the punch that did the damage? It was him driving his head to the ice.

 

[JLo217]

You get 15 years for punching someone in the back of the head?

It depends on the severity, but yeah Assault and Battery can result in a sentence up to 15-17 years.

I think the fact that that not only was it premeditated but also an incredibly purposeful punch to the back of the head and followed by driving it into the ice is pretty insane.

I get that it's in a sport and that line is blurred sometimes, but this was very much something that could and should be considered a crime regardless of the arena and space.

 

[Muffin]

it was a life lesson to not run from what you have coming. if he turns around and drops the gloves with bert he misses five minutes and goes on with his life. go full bear hug and hope he doesn't get free enough to smash your head. that was the accountability of the time and the players policed it. i think this was the exact point that on ice events went from everyone on the bench looking at the toughest guy on their team to everyone on the bench looking at the officials. it was just laughably bad the runs these borderline guys were taking on superstars and refusing to answer for them. it frustrated everyone, including the league, to see star players have to deal with players evading justice decided by players. bert went way too far with it and the rats were victorious that day.

He already fought in the game. Let's not pretend like Bertuzzi would've gone head hunting if they weren't getting ****ed up 8-2.

 

[King Mapes]

If I pushed you onto the road and you got hit by a car, it wasn't my push that hurt you, it was the car.

That’s not the same thing but okay. You’re pushing someone into oncoming traffic. I think the only thing is it was pre meditated but I blame their coach just as much (okay not quite as much). Why was Moore even allowed on the ice? They knew something bad was going to happen. He was stalked and picked on all game and already In one fight. Wasn’t it a blowout at the time? It is beyond dumb to have him out there.

 

[Sgt Schultz]

My problem with incident is more with Bertuzzi riding Moore down with his hand on the back of his neck or helmet, ensuring he hit head first. He may not have even thought about it, but that, IMO, was worse than the sucker punch. It may have been what caused the neck injury, but if so, that is just the realization of a foreseeable danger with that fine move.

Bertuzzi shadowed Moore and tried to get him to engage for most of his shift…..and he was not the first Canuck to do so on that same shift. This was not a “heat of the moment” response or even target of opportunity. Both Bertuzzi and the Canucks were set on creating incident, and the more it didn't happen, the more they escalated it. That falls on Crawford.

If Bertuzzi sucker punched Moore and he went down face first, without help, the head/neck damage is an unfortunate consequence. Guiding him down head first makes it incredibly stupid, or willful, or both.

Permanent ban? No, not by my vote. But, if it were Commissioner/Executioner Schultz, he would have spent the remaining season (which he the league did) and at least half of the next season that the NHL played (not counting a lockout/strike) on a bar stool somewhere. The sucker punch is only worth about five games, riding him down with his hand on his head/neck is the balance.

His consolation? Crawford would have been serving him the drinks, because his time in the NHL would have been indefinitely on hold. The fact that the team was continually focused on creating and escalating that situation falls on the coach.

“Crawford, make mine a double Tangueray and tonic. No, it’s the green bottle, you moron.”

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

He should not only have been banned from game but he should have been put in jail cell

 

[Muffin]

That’s not the same thing but okay. You’re pushing someone into oncoming traffic. I think the only thing is it was pre meditated but I blame their coach just as much (okay not quite as much). Why was Moore even allowed on the ice? They knew something bad was going to happen. He was stalked and picked on all game and already In one fight. Wasn’t it a blowout at the time? It is beyond dumb to have him out there.

It was a blow out, but isn't it pretty standard to put your 3rd and 4th line guys out there to finish the game? It's considered "unclassy" to put your star players out there in a blow up to "run up the score".