Bertuzzi hearing completed

Canadian Press

3/10/2004

TORONTO (CP w/TSN.ca staff) - The NHL disciplinary hearing into Todd Bertuzzi's attack on Steve Moore ended early Wednesday afternoon but the league had no timetable for a decision on the Vancouver player's suspension.

"I have no time frame on when a decision might be made," said NHL vice-president of public relations Gary Meagher.

The hearing was supposed to start at 9 a.m. EST at the NHL's offices in Toronto, but was delayed to around 1 p.m. after some of the parties requested more time to prepare. The hearing ended just over an hour later.

Both Bertuzzi and Vancouver Canucks GM Brian Burke left the hearing without speaking to the large throng of reporters gathered outside the building.

The meeting was being held before NHL vice-president Colin Campbell, the league's disciplinarian. NHLPA officials were also present as was Bertuzzi despite speculation that he would not appear due to the threat of legal action in the case.

Marty McSorley opted not to appear for his NHL hearing in 2000 due to the threat of legal action against him. Despite his absence, the NHL suspended him for one year for hitting Vancouver's Donald Brashear in the head with his stick. That stands as the longest suspension to date for an on-ice infraction in the NHL.

Moore was hospitalized with a fractured neck and a concussion after he was sucker-punched by Bertuzzi in the third period of a 9-2 Colorado win Monday night at Vancouver's GM Place.

The Avs forward landed face first on the ice, with Bertuzzi on top of him.

There has been bad blood between the two teams since a hit by Moore in a game Feb. 16 sidelined Canucks captain Markus Naslund for three games with a concussion. Moore was not penalized on the play.

Outside the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday, two fans waited along with reporters, who interviewed both in the absence of any other news.

One wore a Canucks shirt and hockey gloves with a sign taped to a hockey stick that said "Colin, Ernie says free Bert."

The sign had pictures of Muppets Ernie and Bert as well as a Bertuzzi photo, newspaper clipping and hockey card

The other held up a sign asking for a four-year ban of Bertuzzi and a fine of $3.2 million.

The average suspension handed down by the NHL for incidents similar to Bertuzzi's has been 11 games.

Matt Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings was handed a 12 game suspension for deliberately injuring Jeff Beukeboom of the New York Rangers in 1998. Beukeboom's subsequent head injury eventually forced him out of the game.

Philadelphia goalie Ron Hextall also received a 12 game suspension for attacking Montreal's Chris Chelios during a playoff game in 1989 while Owen Nolan, then of the San Jose Sharks, got 11 games for hitting Grant Marshall in the head in 2001.

Winnipeg's Jimmy Mann got 10 games for sucker-punching Pittsburgh's Paul Gardner in 1982 while Ruslan Salei of Anaheim was hit with a 10 game suspension for hitting Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars from behind in 1999.

"The average suspension handed down by the NHL for incidents similar to Bertuzzi's has been 11 games."

Is it me, or is it unsettling that there are enough "similar incidents" to compute an average?

___________
Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.

"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")

I would think that Hunter's hit several years ago would be less severe than 'Tuzzi's. He was out for what, 21 or 32 games?

If the average suspension is 11 games and Dale Hunter got 21, who in the he// only got a one game suspension for this type of conduct?

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Enough is enough

LOL, yes.

They didn't mention Hunter. They named two guys who got 12 days, one who got 11 days, and two who got 10 days. The average can't be easier to calculate: 11 days.

Bertuzzi may get 15 days (this way, they'll recall the same examples and they'll say that they're more severe than in the past, which will be a lie, since Hunter and McSorley got much more), and he'll only miss a couple of playoff games.

Heatley killed a guy because he thinks driving fast in a residential area is cool, and he's still playing. This is how the stars are treated. If Moore had punched Bertuzzi the same way, he'd be in jail. Remember what Crawford said: "a cheap shot by a young kid on a captain, the leading scorer in the league."

The Jury Is Out

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1754963

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=frei_terry&id=1754978

Vote: Bertuzzi's Punishment?

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=607

Thank you for voting. See below for the results from across SportsNation.

1) What punishment should Todd Bertuzzi receive?
59.8%	One year suspension
25.8%	Suspended for regular season and playoffs
8.1%	11-20 games suspension
4.7%	1-10 game suspension
1.6%	No punishment
2) What is your take on the amount of fighting in the NHL?
46.1%	Things like this are just part of the game
39.8%	It's become too excessive
14.1%	Can't get enough of it
3) In addressing fighting, the NHL should:
36.7%	Eliminate the instigator rule
22.1%	Leave the instigator rule as is
21.3%	Make the instigator rule more severe
13.8%	Ban fighting all together
6.1%	Make the instigator rule more lenient
4) If you were Todd Bertuzzi's teammate, how would you feel?
88.0%	Upset that he has taken himself off the ice
12.0%	Glad he stood up for a teammate
5) Which has been the most disturbing incident in hockey in recent years?
56.0%	Todd Bertuzzi knocks out Steve Moore
35.2%	Marty McSorley uses stick on Donald Brashear
5.9%	Tie Domi elbow on Scott Neidermayer
2.9%	Matt Johnson sucker-punches Jeff Beukeboom
6) If Bertuzzi is suspended for the rest of the regular season, the Canucks will:
75.9%	Make the playoffs, but lose home ice
13.8%	Make the playoffs and earn home ice
10.3%	Not make the playoffs
7) If Bertuzzi is suspended for the playoffs, the Canucks will:
53.3%	Be eliminated in the first round
39.1%	Be eliminated in the second round
4.6%	Be eliminated in the conference final
2.2%	Win the Stanley Cup
0.7%	Be eliminated in Cup final
Total Votes: 104,148

the fact of the matter is fights are a part of hockey as we know it, and I think they should remain a part of hockey, and casual fans want to see fights.  What is the one part of a game that gets the fans going as much as, if not more than, a goal?  Fights.  I don't think fights should be banned, but the punishments for things outside of the "standard" hockey fight should be more severe.  I have a feeling, because he's a star, Bertuzzi won't miss all of the playoffs this year (unless Vancouver is eliminated early).  Like someone else said, if Moore did the same thing he'd never play again.

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Don't make me angry.... you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.....

Unfortunately,this has gotten much more press than any hockey in quite a while. It is not the kind of publicity a hockey fan wants to see. The polls are pretty consistant accross the board,Tuzzi should be out for the rest of the year. I don't see how the NHL can or should ignore this.

  Examples have been made in the past McSourley and Hunter. Tuzzi will be the next example made.

  Worst yet,his speech almost made me feel sorry for him. But then I remember Moore in the hospital,and the fact that these guys are supposed to be professionals and not lose it the way he did.  

_________________

If you can't play with the big dogs,stay the hell on the porch

And that particular choice of photo, featured prominently on the ESPN site, strikes me as just a little too much of making a point, with the sneer and camera angle suggestive of thumbing his nose at the viewer . . .

"Hey, I'm a punk."

___________
Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.

"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")