Bertuzzi set free!
As TSN, Sportsnet, and the Fan 590 have all pointed out already: The news of Bertuzzi's suspension from the NHL being over has burried the news of Wayne Gretzky's decision to coach the Phoenix Coyotes. I guess it has if you say it has.
If you haven't been keeping track of the whole thing: On February 16, 2004, hockey player for the Colorado Avelanche, Steve Moore, hit and took out Vancouver captain, Markus Naslund. Giving Naslund a concussion which would keep him out for 3 games. For this hit no penalty or suspension was given. Right away cameras are thrown in Canucks players faces to shoot wrestling-style promos about about how Steve Moore was going to pay.
March 8, 2004. Colorado travels to Vancouver. Bertuzzi trys to call out Steve Moore. Moore tries to ignore the man who has 40 pounds on him (usually a smart move). Gets sucker punched, knocked unconscious, everyone on the ice piles on top of him (which is probably what broke his neck, not the actual punch).
August 9, 2005. Patrick asks me to blog about Bertuzzi's return.
17 months. That's how long Todd Bertuzzi has been out for. Is it long enough, given that there was no NHL last season so really everyone had a 12 month suspension? In total, Bertuzzi missed 13 regular season games and 7 playoff games losing out on a little over $500,000. Bertuzzi also missed 2 IIHF World Championships and a World Cup tournament, which he probably would have played in had he not been suspended from the NHL. Bertuzzi was also not allowed to play in any of the professional leagues in Europe.
It's hard to know if Bertuzzi has served his time. I know I want him back, he's an exciting player. And some would argue that if the league would have suspended Moore for his hit on Naslund that this wouldn't have happened. But suspension or not, I can't see how Vancouver wasn't going to be out for Moore next time they played Colorado. So then people argue that if Moore had honoured the unwritten rulebook of hockey ("hockey" in this case is a synonym for "NHL"), he would have fought the 245 lbs. Bertuzzi "like a man". But was Bertuzzi "being a man" by punching a guy when he's not looking? How much punishment is that worth? 20 games? 82 games? Does non-NHL hockey count?
I have to ponder about Steve Moore. He was a 4th line forward barely breaking the line up. Is that why he hit the best player on the other team, Markus Naslund? To make himself look valuable to his team? Impossible to know for sure, but not far-fetched. And if he gets up from Bertuzzi's punch, is he labelled a great agitator? For which there is some honour. Agitators are valuable hockey players, and if in two games Steve Moore can get Naslund taken out of a game and then get Bertuzzi kicked out of the game (which may have been the only thing that happened to Bert had Moore not been knocked unconscious, maybe a smaller suspension) does that not look attractive to the Colorado Avelanche or any other team? Maybe this was Moore reason for not fighting back. He wanted to be under the same label as guys like Sean Avery, Matthew Barnaby, Claude Lemieux. Is there any more beloved Fin hockey player than Esa Tikkanen? One of the great agitators and a valuable hockey player.
One interesting tidbit from the Bertuzzi case is that Todd Bertuzzi is not allowed to play in any game that Steve Moore is playing in. I wonder, if Colorado plays Vancouver 8 times in a season (could be more if they meet in the playoffs) would it be worth it to dress Moore in the line up, just to keep one of Vancouver's best scoreres out of the line up? Hmmmm.
posted by TU @ 7:03 AM
14 comments
14 Comment:
Has Moore even been signed? cause he is an unrestricted free agent is he not?
You can talk about the NHL lockout interfering with the suspension, but it did not. He could not go and play hockey with all those others who went over seas. He couldn't play in any of the world cup stuff.
Moore is worth more to teams in Vancouver's division now than he was before because of the suspension. I wonder if there would be a change in the terms by the time the playoffs roll around if Moore's team (whatever that will be) and Vancouver meet?
Steve Moore is a Free Agent, yes. He might be able to go back to Hershey (AHL). I have a hard time seeing him go right back to the NHL after having a broken freakin'* neck.
*-Sorry, Kurt Angle reference. :)
I just heard a ninterview with Steve's lawyer who is saying that later this week he is going to have an expert opinion for how his head is doing. The Lawyer seemed to be saying that it is possible that Steve will never heal enough to play again.
The complaint the lawyer kept expressing seems to state that they believe that punishment should be based upon results and not upon the actions.
Who benefited most from the NHL CBA strike? It is going to be hard to pick but I would say it is either Bertuzzi, or ...
How bout those Penguins!
The Pens lucked out and won the draft lottery (like there was any doubt). They drafted Sidney Crosby with the top selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft (like there was any doubt) and have now gone on to build teh best team in the new NHL (salary cap) by adding supersta Zigmund Palffy Sergei Gonchar and veteran Mark Recchi to the line-up not to mention a terrific goal tender in T-Bo (although he has yet to really make a comeback from surgery)
ALL THIS AND SUPERMARIO TOO!
Let's hope they tie alot of games cause with Crosby Ziggy Mario and T-Bo the shootouts are going to be exciting.
I might have to convert to being a Pitsburgh fan... nah i'll stick with Vancouver.
You're a Vancouver fan? I didn't know that.
I'd say Bertuzzi didn't win anything. If he had been able to serve out his sentence at the beginning of the 2004-05 season, he would have been able to play in the World Cup and the 2005 IIHF World Championships.
Yeah, the Pens are going to be an interesting team to watch. Don't forget about Evgeni Malkin, the No. 2 pick from 2004.
I grew up watching Habs games so I guess you can say I am a Habs fan deep down. Having moved to Cornwall ON in 1980 I started following the Royals and their back to back memorial cup victories. Then Team Captain Marc Crawford was drafted by Vancouver in 1980 (70th overall)and since he had been my favorite player I had to follow his career right so I converted to Vancouver while still watching mostly Habs games. Crawford married my next door neighbours' neice (early in 1982 I think) so my proximity to his new family made most hockey discussions in the neighborhood circle around Vancouver.
What Finally galvanized my conversion.?... Nov. 5, 1991.
From that point on I watched mostly Vancouver games even though they where on 3 hours later.
I grew up watching Canuck games. I even used to get player cards with the milk that was delivered door to door (they still deliver milk in Victoria).
I still remember the chanting "King Richard" and waving white towels before it was a league wide phenomenon.
Eric's (other) ministry is to make sure people know that the towel wave started in Vancouver.
so now we know who eric and I follow. What about you Travis? Was it allways Anahiem or was there a Detroit in your past?
Originally I was an Edmonton Oilers fan. This was about 1990. That year I started collecting hockey cards and was quite taken with a young Russian star named Sergei Fedorov. I started following my two favourite players: Mark Messier on the Edmonton Oilers and Sergei Fedorov on the Detroit Red Wings.
When Messier was traded to the New York Rangers in 1991, I became a fan of the Rangers too, but the Oilers where still my favourite team and living in Victoria at that time, I enjoyed watching them eliminate Vancouver, who I hated. I especially detested Pavel Bure.
Come 1994, I had given up on the Oilers as they seemed to always have to trade away their top stars and I became a Detroit and Rangers fan. That playoffs year I was especially excited at the prospect of my two favourite teams meeting in the finals. Unfortunately for Detroit, they were eliminated in 7 by the San Jose Sharks. But I got to watch my Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 7 games over the hated Vancouver Canucks.
In 1997, Mark Messier was signed by the Vancouver Canucks. I had already started liking a lot of Canucks players but I still didn't like Pavel Bure. When Vancouver traded Bure to Florida for Ed Jovanovski (who I was already a big fan of) I became a full fledged Canucks fan.
After that I got to enjoy Fedorov win 3 Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, who since Fedorov's signing with Anaheim, I have devorced myself from fully.
As it stands at this moment I "root" for Anaheim and I cheer for all 6 Canadian teams. Vancouver use to be my undisputed #1 Canadian team and might still be, but last season I started watching more Leafs and Sens games and started to like them a lot too.
So after an explanation that's way too long:
1. Anaheim (only because of #91)
2. Vancouver
3. Leafs and Sens
4. Oilers, Flames, Habs
Others I'm starting to like: Pens, Blue Jackets, Phoenix, Atlanta
It is usually easy to choose your Canadian team in the second round of the playoffs (there is still often one by then) although I have always found it difficult to cheer for Montreal. I am not entirely sure why, but they wind up so disliked that I would have a hard time in choosing who to cheer for between them and the evil Islanders.
Toronto signed the big "E".
I'm surprised he didn't get a concussion at the press confrence.
Who benefited most from the strike?
Well...
Televised poker - a spot that was relatively unheard of has become quite well known over the past year.
Other then that - I've heard some reports of a rise in birthrate so, perhaps we all have benefited? Or at least the men who have fathered the additional children? :-)
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