Steve Moore Denied Impact Statement

[CentreHice]

From MOJO radio and the Oakley Show this morning (the 22nd).

Expected to plead guilty to a lesser charge, Bertuzzi has reportedly made a plea bargain that will result in a conditional discharge...no jail time, no criminal charges. That's the dope from Toronto as Bertuzzi makes his way to court today.

Moore's family is outraged at the plea bargain.
"A kiss on the cheek," said a family spokesperson.

On MOJO radio today Moore's lawyer, Tim Danson, said Moore and his parents were denied the opportunity to make victim impact statements.

The Canadian criminial code says that, even in a plea bargain, victim impact statements MUST be heard.

Moving the court date up to today made it impossible for Moore and his contingent to even be present at today's proceedings. (I don't quite fully understand that part of it....but that's what Danson said.)

They've hired a lawyer to stand up in the B.C. court today and enact Moore's (and all Canadians') right to be heard under the Code before sentencing is passed.

According to Moore's brother, Steve also has a permanent brain injury, which will be/would have been heard along with the rest of the medical reports.

Bill Watters said that Colorado coaching has a lot to answer for by putting Moore on the ice in the final minutes on March 8. Come on, if it didn't happen that night, the frontier justice that seems to be allowed in the NHL would have been meted out later.

Not being allowed to make the impact statement is a travesty IMO. Bertuzzi stalked and cowardly attacked an unwilling opponent from behind, almost killing him....and he is fully expected to walk with community service?

Civil trial anyone?

[franko]

CentreHice said:

Civil trial anyone?

I think the term you are looking for is lawsuit. TB does indeed have much to answer for. There have been a lot of remarks made that the punishment is because of the effects of the action rather than the action itself, but the action itself was indeed cowardly and repugnant.

Unfortunately, we don't even know if Bertuzzi is remourseful, because anything that he might say would make its way into the suit.

[MC Habber]

It's been argued that the injuries Moore sustained resulted from the pileon of Colorado players. That said, I find it strange that the prosecution would allow a plea bargain - I was at that game along with 18 thousand others and a couple of dozen cameras, and I can't see how there's any doubt about what Bertuzzi did. The issue of whether the police have a roll in sports was answered when charges were laid, if not when the investigation began, so I don't see why they aren't going for the jugular.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

MC said:

It's been argued that the injuries Moore sustained resulted from the pileon of Colorado players. That said, I find it strange that the prosecution would allow a plea bargain - I was at that game along with 18 thousand others and a couple of dozen cameras, and I can't see how there's any doubt about what Bertuzzi did. The issue of whether the police have a roll in sports was answered when charges were laid, if not when the investigation began, so I don't see why they aren't going for the jugular.

I wasn't at the game, but I did see the incident and there is no doubt in my mind that the plea bargain was the right decision. Mr Bertuzzi was the instigator in a fight during a hockey game. It happens all the time. Mr. Moore was seriously injured as a result of the punch and Mr. Bertuzzi landing on his neck. Fortunately for the sport the severity of the injury does not happen all the time. It was an accident and everybody agrees that Mr. Bertuzzi did not intend to permanently harm Mr. Moore.
Now if only we could get Bertuzzi to hit Michael Moore!

[franko]

I heard that Michael Moore was in the running for Time's Person of the Year, but he lost out because his picture didn't fit on the cover.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

I wasn't at the game, but I did see the incident and there is no doubt in my mind that the plea bargain was the right decision. Mr Bertuzzi was the instigator in a fight during a hockey game. It happens all the time. Mr. Moore was seriously injured as a result of the punch and Mr. Bertuzzi landing on his neck. Fortunately for the sport the severity of the injury does not happen all the time. It was an accident and everybody agrees that Mr. Bertuzzi did not intend to permanently harm Mr. Moore.
Now if only we could get Bertuzzi to hit Michael Moore!

There was no fight.

[seventeen]

I heard reports a victim statement was read out.

[mic]

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

I wasn't at the game, but I did see the incident and there is no doubt in my mind that the plea bargain was the right decision. Mr Bertuzzi was the instigator in a fight during a hockey game. It happens all the time.

I don't now how you can call that a hockey fight. And it definitly doesn't happen "all the time". That's a mistake, as an assault from behind on a person not being able to defend (and then suffering from various injuries) is not common in hockey. Bertuzzi deliberatly attacked somebody and didn't act in self-defense. I do hope such things are punished in north America. Oeil pour oeil, dent pour dent is one of the most oldest law code. Hopefully, we don't live in such a society anymore.

[MC Habber]

Bertuzzi pleads guilty to assault charge

---

As far as I'm concerned, the only issues are whether the law should be involved in professional sports at all and to what extent Bertuzzi should be blamed for injuries that may actually have been the fault of Moore's teammates. If the injuries are Bertuzzi's fault and it's decided that the law should be involved (which is what the police decided, obviously), then I don't think there's any doubt that Bertuzzi is getting off very lightly.

I can actually sympathize with Bertuzzi, but that would be true even if he were not famous. If any of us did something like this, even in an organized hockey league, and it was caught on video, we would certainly face tougher punishment than he has. There's no doubt in my mind that he gotten special treatment because of his status.

[MC Habber]

VANCOUVER (CP) - Here is the text of the video-taped statement by Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi. The statement was played in court at his sentencing Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm during a game last March:

Hello. My name is Todd Bertuzzi. I'm a hockey player with the Vancouver Canucks.

For the last nine months or so, my life has been turned upside down.

On March 8th 2004, toward the end of a game with Colorado Avalance, I made a terrible mistake I wish I could take back.

I crossed a line that professional hockey players, like anyone else, should never cross. I hit a fellow player from behind with my glove hand when he was not expecting it, was not involved in play and did not want to fight me.

As a result, Steve Moore was injured. I did not intend for him to be hurt as badly as he was but this is what happened.

I had to take responsibility for that.

That's why I have apologized to Steve Moore and do so again and continue to wish him a complete recovery.

That is also why I have chosen to plead guilty to a crime of assault causing bodily harm.

I have spent many months agonizing over this incident - how it happened and how to make sense of it.

At the time, I was so caught up in the intensity of the game that I lost sight of certain fundamental rules that we all have to abide by and go beyond the rules of hockey.

For that, I have to apologize again to my organization, my teammates, my fellow players, the league, the Vancouver fans and all hockey fans

Hockey has been my life. I love the game and always have. I have always been an aggressive player. But since that incident last March, I have learned something about the game and indeed about myself that I want to share with you.

We hockey players engage in a sport that is fast and exciting. It involves a substantial amount of rough, physical contact.

We are encouraged to make the most of the physical aspect of the game because it is to our own and to our team's advantage that we do so.

On the other hand, it is understood that if you break the rules of the game, as we all do frequently, you get penalized.

Players, especially in the NHL, will frequently get into fist fights, but even if you break the rules of the game there are still limits beyond which we players should never go whether you are using your stick or not.

When you go beyond those limits, you can commit a crime. That is what happened here.

I certainly don't think of myself as a criminal. And what happened that night in March is not who I am.

If I can therefore take something positive from this incident, I hope it will go some way to making amends for what happened that night.

One thing I want to do for the game is to let everyone know how important it is to respect the limits of what can be tolerated.

Those of us who play the game at all levels - professional and amateur - should never do anything intending to cause each other serious bodily harm. When we do, that is not hockey.

In the coming weeks, I have agreed as part of my sentence, to do community work. I do so gladly.

Among other things, I will be conveying the message that certain conduct has no part in hockey. We have to respect society's limits which are about respecting each other.

In this work, I hope that I can repair some of the damage I have done by bringing the message home to those who play the game

Learn from my mistake and we will all be better off for it and so will the game.

Thank you.

- source

[CentreHice]

MC said:

VANCOUVER (CP) - Here is the text of the video-taped statement by Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi. The statement was played in court at his sentencing Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm during a game last March:

Hello. My name is Todd Bertuzzi. I'm a hockey player with the Vancouver Canucks.

For the last nine months or so, my life has been turned upside down.

On March 8th 2004, toward the end of a game with Colorado Avalance, I made a terrible mistake I wish I could take back.

I crossed a line that professional hockey players, like anyone else, should never cross. I hit a fellow player from behind Objection, your honour, he stalked and attacked a fellow player from behind. "Overruled"with my glove hand when he was not expecting it, was not involved in play and did not want to fight me.

As a result, Steve Moore was injured. I did not intend for him to be hurt as badly as he was but this is what happened. Objection, your honour, Mr. Bertuzzi's intent.... "Overruled."

I had to take responsibility for that.

That's why I have apologized to Steve Moore and do so again and continue to wish him a complete recovery.

That is also why I have chosen to plead guilty to a crime of assault causing bodily harm.

I have spent many months agonizing over this incident - how it happened and how to make sense of it.

At the time, I was so caught up in the intensity of the game Objection, your honour, the score was 9-2 for Colorado. Any intensity of the game was long gone. This was an act of premeditated revenge. "Overruled." that I lost sight of certain fundamental rules that we all have to abide by and go beyond the rules of hockey.

For that, I have to apologize again to my organization, my teammates, my fellow players, the league, the Vancouver fans and all hockey fans

Hockey has been my life. I love the game and always have. I have always been an aggressive player. But since that incident last March, I have learned something about the game and indeed about myself that I want to share with you.

Okay, I can't wait to hear what you learned about yourself.

We hockey players engage in a sport that is fast and exciting. It involves a substantial amount of rough, physical contact. That's what you learned about the game....very good, Mr. Bertuzzi.

We are encouraged to make the most of the physical aspect of the game because it is to our own and to our team's advantage that we do so. Wow, how insightful. Still waiting to hear what you learned about yourself.

On the other hand, it is understood that if you break the rules of the game, as we all do frequently, you get penalized. Duh!

Players, especially in the NHL, will frequently get into fist fights, Your honour, this was not a fist fight...it was a sucker punch from behind. "Enough, councillor."but even if you break the rules of the game there are still limits beyond which we players should never go whether you are using your stick or not.

When you go beyond those limits, you can commit a crime. That is what happened here. So, what did you learn about yourself?

I certainly don't think of myself as a criminal. And what happened that night in March is not who I am. So you learned that you're not a criminal?

If I can therefore take something positive from this incident, And what positive can Steve Moore take from this incident, your honour. "Sit down or I'll find you in contempt."I hope it will go some way to making amends for what happened that night.

One thing I want to do for the game is to let everyone know how important it is to respect the limits of what can be tolerated. Peter Puck did that in the 70's.

Those of us who play the game at all levels - professional and amateur - should never do anything intending to cause each other serious bodily harm. When we do, that is not hockey. Really? Wow!

In the coming weeks, I have agreed as part of my sentence, to do community work. I do so gladly. I guess you DO!

Among other things, I will be conveying the message that certain conduct has no part in hockey. We have to respect society's limits which are about respecting each other. Blah blah blah....insert other platitudes here.


In this work, I hope that I can repair some of the damage I have done by bringing the message home to those who play the game

Learn from my mistake and we will all be better off for it and so will the game. Oh, what a lovely moral for us all.

Thank you. No no...thank YOU!

- source

[Skilly]

MC said:

Bertuzzi pleads guilty to assault charge

---

As far as I'm concerned, the only issues are whether the law should be involved in professional sports at all and to what extent Bertuzzi should be blamed for injuries that may actually have been the fault of Moore's teammates. If the injuries are Bertuzzi's fault and it's decided that the law should be involved (which is what the police decided, obviously), then I don't think there's any doubt that Bertuzzi is getting off very lightly.

I can actually sympathize with Bertuzzi, but that would be true even if he were not famous. If any of us did something like this, even in an organized hockey league, and it was caught on video, we would certainly face tougher punishment than he has. There's no doubt in my mind that he gotten special treatment because of his status.

Brian Burke, who is actually a lawyer, disagrees with you. He stated that this is the common sentence whether found guilty or plea bargained for a first time offender.

The prosecution, who incidently is also a lawyer, has publicly stated that there was no way in a criminal court of law that he could determine a) that the injury was caused by Todd Bertuzzi's actions or b) the injury will affect Moore's career.

That my friend is reasonable doubt, and to me Bertuzzi accepted the plea bargain on 2 counts.

1) there would be no criminal record.

2) he realized that he had to be punished and accept blame irregardless of whether he could be proven guilty or not. IMO, he probably felt that if he didn't that he wouldn't be able to face himself in the mirror and would have to live with this stigma forever. It is easier to forgive those that "accept blame" and serve a sentence appropriate to that crime.

[CentreHice]

Just saw a couple of replays of the "hit" tonight on the news, and Bertuzzi drove Moore's head into the ice with all his might, before any other players piled on.

The guy's a goon, plain and simple. That was cold-blooded, pre-meditated thuggery with intent to injure. You don't slam someone's head into the ice thinking he may get a slight bruise. He'll probably never do it again...but too little too late. If any one of us was related to Steve Moore, we'd all feel betrayed by the B.C. court system. The story's always different when it's closer to home.

What if the situation was reversed? Steve Moore, a vitually unknown rookie, sucker punches star player Todd Bertuzzi from behind, breaks his neck....do you think Moore would be walking away with this result?
No way. He'd never play in the NHL again.

[blaise]

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

I wasn't at the game, but I did see the incident and there is no doubt in my mind that the plea bargain was the right decision. Mr Bertuzzi was the instigator in a fight during a hockey game. It happens all the time. Mr. Moore was seriously injured as a result of the punch and Mr. Bertuzzi landing on his neck. Fortunately for the sport the severity of the injury does not happen all the time. It was an accident and everybody agrees that Mr. Bertuzzi did not intend to permanently harm Mr. Moore.
Now if only we could get Bertuzzi to hit Michael Moore!

As muddled as a Bushism! How can it be accidental if the mugging was done on purpose? If Moore had died it would be manslaughter (homicide). "I didn't mean to do it," he would have sobbed out of self-pity as he was led away in handcuffs.

[blaise]

Skilly said:

Brian Burke, who is actually a lawyer, disagrees with you. He stated that this is the common sentence whether found guilty or plea bargained for a first time offender.

The prosecution, who incidently is also a lawyer, has publicly stated that there was no way in a criminal court of law that he could determine a) that the injury was caused by Todd Bertuzzi's actions or b) the injury will affect Moore's career.

That my friend is reasonable doubt, and to me Bertuzzi accepted the plea bargain on 2 counts.

1) there would be no criminal record.

2) he realized that he had to be punished and accept blame irregardless of whether he could be proven guilty or not. IMO, he probably felt that if he didn't that he wouldn't be able to face himself in the mirror and would have to live with this stigma forever. It is easier to forgive those that "accept blame" and serve a sentence appropriate to that crime.

I would advise Mr. Bertuzzi not to misstep during his probation or the leniency shown him would turn steel hard.

[CentreHice]

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

I wasn't at the game, but I did see the incident and there is no doubt in my mind that the plea bargain was the right decision. Mr Bertuzzi was the instigator in a fight during a hockey game. It happens all the time. Mr. Moore was seriously injured as a result of the punch and Mr. Bertuzzi landing on his neck. Fortunately for the sport the severity of the injury does not happen all the time. It was an accident and everybody agrees that Mr. Bertuzzi did not intend to permanently harm Mr. Moore.
Now if only we could get Bertuzzi to hit Michael Moore!

First of all, it wasn't a fight....it was stalking and attacking from behind. Brave stuff, huh?
Landing on his neck? Sounds like the Warren Commission all over again. The video evidence makes the Zapruder footage look like cave paintings. Clear cut.....after the sucker punch, which KO's Moore instantly, no one trips Bertuzzi into falling on him...he follows him down, and drives his head to the ice. There's no other way to see it.

As I've said before: turn the tables...Moore sucker-punches Bertuzzi and breaks his neck. Moore doesn't see another game of NHL action. Guaranteed. As a rookie he has neither the cache nor the cash of stardom to buy his way out of it.

I hope Moore takes this case as far as it can go civil-wise.

It's another Eddie Shore on Ace Bailey 1933....this time it's on multi-camera video.

Then again McSorley got an 18-month conditional discharge after the Brashear incident in 2000. Wayne Maki and Ted Green were both acquitted of assault charges in 69. Dan Maloney got community service in exchange for a no-contest plea after his stick tomahawked Brian Glennie's skull in 1975. Gary Suter got only a 4-game suspension for viciously cross-checking Paul Kariya in 1998. Not to mention the Rocket going absolutely ballistic with his stick on Hal Laycoe in 55.

Source: www.cbc.ca/sports/columns/top10/hockey_lowlights.html#2

And the beat(ing) goes on.....the beat(ing) goes on.

[seventeen]

CentreHice said:

Just saw a couple of replays of the "hit" tonight on the news, and Bertuzzi drove Moore's head into the ice with all his might, before any other players piled on.

The guy's a goon, plain and simple. That was cold-blooded, pre-meditated thuggery with intent to injure. You don't slam someone's head into the ice thinking he may get a slight bruise. He'll probably never do it again...but too little too late. If any one of us was related to Steve Moore, we'd all feel betrayed by the B.C. court system. The story's always different when it's closer to home.

What if the situation was reversed? Steve Moore, a vitually unknown rookie, sucker punches star player Todd Bertuzzi from behind, breaks his neck....do you think Moore would be walking away with this result?
No way. He'd never play in the NHL again.

To address your points, I've seen the replay many times. To me, from some angles, it looks like Bertuzzi is pulling back rather than driving forward. There is no real way to tell if the injury occurred from the initial fall or from the piling on afterward.

if the situation was reversed? It was. Moore tried to take Naslund's head off with a vicious elbow a few games earlier and what actually happened, was a 2 minute penalty was called and that was it. Naslund suffered a concusssion and wasn't the same player after that. What did Moore get? Nothing. At least not until Bertuzzi made his foolish decision. Moore is anything but an innocent bystander in all this and that seems to be a fact that is largely forgotten in the sympathy for his injury.

[CentreHice]

seventeen said:

To address your points, I've seen the replay many times. To me, from some angles, it looks like Bertuzzi is pulling back rather than driving forward. There is no real way to tell if the injury occurred from the initial fall or from the piling on afterward.

if the situation was reversed? It was. Moore tried to take Naslund's head off with a vicious elbow a few games earlier and what actually happened, was a 2 minute penalty was called and that was it. Naslund suffered a concusssion and wasn't the same player after that. What did Moore get? Nothing. At least not until Bertuzzi made his foolish decision. Moore is anything but an innocent bystander in all this and that seems to be a fact that is largely forgotten in the sympathy for his injury.

Point taken. And so, frontier justice will continue to reign supreme in the culture of hockey. And around and around we go. Subjectivity, objectivity, intent, reasonable doubt. You say Moore tried to "take Naslund's head off" earlier. Did he really "intend" to take his head off any more or less than Bertuzzi "intended" to injure Moore so severely?

Others would say Moore was "reacting" to the play, much like we all heard the argument that McClaren's head shot on Zednik was just a "reaction". We can argue every cheap shot and every replay of the cheap shot....but somebody's gonna get killed.

I don't know how to solve it. Too many legal outs and too much money to pay for them.

[MC Habber]

I don't think Moore's hit on Naslund even comes close to being as viscious as as what happened to Zednik... the whole Canucks team really overreacted. I wonder what would have happened if, in the third period of the game following the Zednik hit, the Habs had been losing 9-2?

In response to Skilly, Burke is obviously not impartial here, and the prosecution is at fault in the eyes of many. If you did what Bertuzzi did do you really think you'd get off without any jail time or fine?

[MC Habber]

Skilly said:

The prosecution, who incidently is also a lawyer, has publicly stated that there was no way in a criminal court of law that he could determine a) that the injury was caused by Todd Bertuzzi's actions or b) the injury will affect Moore's career.

b) is a matter to be argued in a lawsuit - it should have no bearing on the criminal case

Bertuzzi's actions and the end result are not in doubt. If I shoot someone and as a result they fall off a rooftop and it is the fall that kills them, I am still going to face murder charges.

[CentreHice]

MC said:

If I shoot someone and as a result they fall off a rooftop and it is the fall that kills them, I am still going to face murder charges.

Agree totally. With the NHL though....perhaps with the entire celebrity/power world....it seems that there's always enough money to make loopholes and exceptions appear. In your analogy all the defendant would have to say is, "I didn't mean for him to fall off the rooftop....I know my gunshot caused him to fall....but what I did that night isn't who I am."

[seventeen]

But what if the guy who fell off the roof had taken a shot at your buddy a couple of nights ago? You may be able to argue you were afraid for your life, etc. Not the same scenario of course, but since we were debating hypothetical cases.....

[MC Habber]

seventeen said:

But what if the guy who fell off the roof had taken a shot at your buddy a couple of nights ago? You may be able to argue you were afraid for your life, etc. Not the same scenario of course, but since we were debating hypothetical cases.....

But that's a separate issue - whether the action taken was justified, not whether the action-taker should be responsible for it's consequences.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

mic said:

I don't now how you can call that a hockey fight. And it definitly doesn't happen "all the time". That's a mistake, as an assault from behind on a person not being able to defend (and then suffering from various injuries) is not common in hockey. Bertuzzi deliberatly attacked somebody and didn't act in self-defense. I do hope such things are punished in north America. Oeil pour oeil, dent pour dent is one of the most oldest law code. Hopefully, we don't live in such a society anymore.

The severe outcome certainly doesn't happen all the time or hockey would be banned. Instigator fights happen all the time and frequently one player refuses to fight and turns turtle, either to earn a penalty advantage, or to save themself against a bigger stronger opponent. John Ferguson punched Eddie Shack and Shack skated away to save himself. Long time ago but still remembered. Fortunately for both of them the outcome was less serious than Bertuzzi/Moore.
This incident was special, not because of an instigator, but because of the severity of the injury. If Moore dropped to the ice with a welt over his black eye it would have been a five minute major + instigator and long forgotten. The injury was exceptional, not the act.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

CentreHice said:

First of all, it wasn't a fight....it was stalking and attacking from behind. Brave stuff, huh?
Landing on his neck? Sounds like the Warren Commission all over again. The video evidence makes the Zapruder footage look like cave paintings. Clear cut.....after the sucker punch, which KO's Moore instantly, no one trips Bertuzzi into falling on him...he follows him down, and drives his head to the ice. There's no other way to see it.

As I've said before: turn the tables...Moore sucker-punches Bertuzzi and breaks his neck. Moore doesn't see another game of NHL action. Guaranteed. As a rookie he has neither the cache nor the cash of stardom to buy his way out of it.

I hope Moore takes this case as far as it can go civil-wise.

It's another Eddie Shore on Ace Bailey 1933....this time it's on multi-camera video.

Then again McSorley got an 18-month conditional discharge after the Brashear incident in 2000. Wayne Maki and Ted Green were both acquitted of assault charges in 69. Dan Maloney got community service in exchange for a no-contest plea after his stick tomahawked Brian Glennie's skull in 1975. Gary Suter got only a 4-game suspension for viciously cross-checking Paul Kariya in 1998. Not to mention the Rocket going absolutely ballistic with his stick on Hal Laycoe in 55.

Source: www.cbc.ca/sports/columns/top10/hockey_lowlights.html#2

And the beat(ing) goes on.....the beat(ing) goes on.

It was unacceptable conduct. Bertuzzi instigated a fight with a punch from behind. Moore didn't respond and was severely injured. If i thought for a moment that Bertuzzi intended to break Moores neck, I would agree that it is attempted murder. Bertuzzi was attempting to goad Moore into a fight and it had consequences that far exceeded the intent.
It could be argued that Perezhoegin reacted in self defense, but his action was infinitely more viocious than Bertuzzi's.

[CentreHice]

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

It was unacceptable conduct. Bertuzzi instigated a fight with a punch from behind. Moore didn't respond and was severely injured. If i thought for a moment that Bertuzzi intended to break Moores neck, I would agree that it is attempted murder. Bertuzzi was attempting to goad Moore into a fight and it had consequences that far exceeded the intent.

Moore responded to the several Bertuzzi taunts by refusing to turn around...he just kept skating away. Moore didn't respond to the punch from behind because it knocked him out instantly. Right to the side of the head...temple, jaw....take your pick.

Even though it can never be proven in a court of law, the intent was "revenge", "payback", "take him out", "teach him a lesson". And that means "hurt him badly"...and in Bertuzzi's head "any which way you can." Anyone who's played competitive hockey knows it.

But hey....time was running out in a 9-2 Colorado blowout...and as Bertuzzi said, he was caught up in the "intensity of the game."

Ah...what celebrity can buy.

Read the transcript of Bertuzzi's statement again. It sounds as if it was crafted for/by Kindergarten students.

"Hockey is a fast game, and we are encouraged to be physical. Sometimes fights break out.....and sometimes we go too far....I did that and I am sorry....I am I am Sam I am."

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

CentreHice said:

Moore responded to the several Bertuzzi taunts by refusing to turn around...he just kept skating away. Moore didn't respond to the punch from behind because it knocked him out instantly. Right to the side of the head...temple, jaw....take your pick.

Even though it can never be proven in a court of law, the intent was "revenge", "payback", "take him out", "teach him a lesson". And that means "hurt him badly"...and in Bertuzzi's head "any which way you can." Anyone who's played competitive hockey knows it.

But hey....time was running out in a 9-2 Colorado blowout...and as Bertuzzi said, he was caught up in the "intensity of the game."

Ah...what celebrity can buy.

Read the transcript of Bertuzzi's statement again. It sounds as if it was crafted for/by Kindergarten students.

"Hockey is a fast game, and we are encouraged to be physical. Sometimes fights break out.....and sometimes we go too far....I did that and I am sorry....I am I am Sam I am."

How many times did Gordie Howe put the CCM impression from his elbow pads onto a players face with the admonishion, "Welcome to the NHL, Rookie." Those were clearly unprovoked assaults, and very seldom was there any retaliation or response. Bertuzzi seriously hurt Moore and the difference was the severity of the injury.

[CentreHice]

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

How many times did Gordie Howe put the CCM impression from his elbow pads onto a players face with the admonishion, "Welcome to the NHL, Rookie." Those were clearly unprovoked assaults, and very seldom was there any retaliation or response. Bertuzzi seriously hurt Moore and the difference was the severity of the injury.

Point taken.

I guess the common denominator here is that there have always been and will always be dirty plays and subsequent vengeful dirty plays.

What bothers me is that "intent" is, more often that not, very clear. Reasonable doubt, my word against yours, etc. muddies the frozen water.

There is a relatively recent event which mirrors the Bertuzzi incident a little more closely. In 2002.....the Sabres' Varada took a run at our goalie's head with his knee which inspired Gilmour to immediately attempt to take out Varada's knees. In both cases, to me anyways, the intent was clear. You don't go at someone's head with your knee without intent to injure...and you don't go at someone's knees without intent to cause serious damage.

Suspensions and court cases which end in plea bargains apparently aren't enough to stop this behavior. Perhaps violence has always been a marketing staple of the NHL......

[MC Habber]

CentreHice said:

But hey....time was running out in a 9-2 Colorado blowout...and as Bertuzzi said, he was caught up in the "intensity of the game."

As I remember it, the fans were furious and even bloodthirsty because of all the hype about the hit on Naslund and because of the way Colorado were embarrassing Vancouver. There was at least one fight in the stands and someone threw a beer at one of the Avalanche players who then completely lost it (I forget whether this was before or after the Bertuzzi hit). This atmosphere might be what Bertuzzi was referring to.

Read the transcript of Bertuzzi's statement again. It sounds as if it was crafted for/by Kindergarten students.

"Hockey is a fast game, and we are encouraged to be physical. Sometimes fights break out.....and sometimes we go too far....I did that and I am sorry....I am I am Sam I am."

I agree, but so what? Bertuzzi obviously wrote it himself instead of having a lawyer write it for him, and it shows. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea but at least it suggests he took it seriously and was sincere.

[MC Habber]

CentreHice said:

There is a relatively recent event which mirrors the Bertuzzi incident a little more closely. In 2002.....the Sabres' Varada took a run at our goalie's head with his knee which inspired Gilmour to immediately attempt to take out Varada's knees. In both cases, to me anyways, the intent was clear. You don't go at someone's head with your knee without intent to injure...and you don't go at someone's knees without intent to cause serious damage.

I remember that well, and I am still amazed at the way so many people saw nothing wrong with what Gilmour did.