NHL Ends Todd Bertuzzi's Indefinite Suspension

[cincinnati chili]

I said in another thread that Gary Bettman should be fired for reinstating him so quickly. WOY disagreed. Discuss, all.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?id=2129202

[RedFanAlways1966]

I think a year suspension would be appropriate. His actions were definitely heinous and gutless. Anyone who has seen the video would agree. Unfortunately the NHL is violent. Fans, most anyway, seem to enjoy the fighting and body checking. Violence is "part of the game". Of course Bertuzzi's action was beyond the acceptable violence in the game.

I wish the NHL would have stricter rules in regard to the goons. It is well known who the goons are and when they purposely look to hurt an opposing player. That is not right... hockey is about skating, passing and scoring. When did putting a goon in to injure an opposing player become an acceptable part of the game?

[NJReds]

This is worse then the Kenny Rogers decision, IMO. What was his final "suspension"? About 20 games.

[NJReds]

More on Moore:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

Moore surprised Bertuzzi cleared to play

August 11, 2005
DENVER (AP) -- Steve Moore is surprised Todd Bertuzzi was reinstated by the NHL for a blindside punch that broke the neck of the former Colorado Avalanche forward.

``It's difficult to see that he's able to play again when I still have a long way to go, and not just in hockey, but with my health,'' Moore said in Thursday's Denver Post.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Monday cleared Bertuzzi to play this season. Bertuzzi was suspended for the final 13 games of the 2003-04 regular season and the playoffs. His banishment continued throughout last season's NHL lockout.

Moore had extensive tests this week at Cleveland Clinic as doctors attempted to gauge his recovery from the March 8, 2004, hit that left him with a fractured neck and concussion. Results are not expected for several weeks.

``I'm better than I was two months ago, better than I was six months ago, and certainly better than I was 17 months ago,'' Moore told the newspaper at his home in suburban Toronto.

He is working out in the gym and on the ice but still experiences occasional wooziness.

``The concussion is more of the issue, for sure,'' he said. ``The neck feels pretty good.''

Moore's lawyer, Tim Danson, said his client is determined to remain upbeat, even though his hockey career could be over.

``There's a real sadness, a realization that, 'Oh, my gosh, my dream is being smashed.' But then he brings himself out of that and gets positive again,'' Danson said.

The Avalanche have not committed to re-signing Moore if he is cleared to play, although the team agreed to allow him to return to Denver and work with its medical staff.

Moore said he hasn't heard from Bertuzzi. He has filed a lawsuit in Denver in which he has named Bertuzzi, former Canucks forward Brad May -- now with the Avalanche -- Canucks coach Marc Crawford, former GM Brian Burke and Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, owner of the Canucks.

Danson believes Moore will drop the suit if he plays again.

``He doesn't want to be in the courtroom, he wants to be on the ice,'' Danson said.

[Johnny Footstool]

Bertuzzi's suspension should remain in effect until Moore is able to play again. That would be fair and just.

[westofyou]

I wish the NHL would have stricter rules in regard to the goons. It is well known who the goons are and when they purposely look to hurt an opposing player. That is not right... hockey is about skating, passing and scoring. When did putting a goon in to injure an opposing player become an acceptable part of the game?

One thing's for sure Bertuzzi is not a goon, he's a big guy but he's a skill player who scores and skates more than he fights.

This is from the article

The most underplayed aspect in all of this was the league fining the Canucks, serving notice that it is the organization's -- from the GM on down -- responsibility to head off this kind of stupidity. You don't encourage it with either implied support or overt directives. If you do, you'll pay.

Over 250K, loss of a player for the end of the season and the playoffs.

Maybe if the season wasn't canceled last year he would have rounded off 20 or so more games. But that coupled with the sports need to fix itself on the ice and in the stands makes cleaning up old messes secondary.

Personally I've seen way worse on the ice and the football field, it's not Rollerball yet and the league is trying to clean it up, but attacking an incident that is now over a year and half old won't do it in my mind. The fans are apathetic to the league at this point, thus they'd be apathetic to additional punishment doled out for something that happened in the past.

[zombie-a-go-go]

Ending his suspension gets the NHL in the news, raises awareness that the lockout is over, piques the public interest, etc. That's why he'll be allowed back on the ice. Not because the punishment already served is fair and just, but because it'll help reinvigorate interest in the league. And that's what Bettman's really concerned about.

[NJReds]

Personally I've seen way worse on the ice and the football field

I don't think I've seen worse on a football field. And maybe McSorley's baseball swing of his stick was worse (cost him a year, I believe).

But Bertuzzi attacked with a intent to injury. He succeeded. It could have resulted in paralysis or death. Luckily, Moore can walk, although his career is likely over.

I don't think 20 games is sufficient. I don't think it's realistic to expect a league to set a precident where a guy is suspended for the length of the victim's injury. But he should have missed a whole season.

[Danny Serafini]

Let's not forget he did miss a whole season. Overseas leagues and North American minor leagues honored the suspension. While everyone else spent the lockout playing elsewhere and keeping sharp he sat out.

[Roy Tucker]

Ending his suspension gets the NHL in the news, raises awareness that the lockout is over, piques the public interest, etc. That's why he'll be allowed back on the ice. Not because the punishment already served is fair and just, but because it'll help reinvigorate interest in the league. And that's what Bettman's really concerned about.

You betcha.

Survival of the NHL overrides any pesky ethical dilemmas. And the NHL is skating on thin ice (ho-ho).

[registerthis]

And the NHL is skating on thin ice (ho-ho).

This is true.

There's only about a 1/4" to 1/2" of ice on the rink, it's very thin. A lot of people don't realize this.