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.”