TORONTO - Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks will
sit out at least the rest of the season for his assault on
Colorado Avalanche rookie Steve Moore.
The NHL on Thursday suspended Bertuzzi for the remainder of the
regular season and the entire Stanley Cup playoffs. Under the
collective bargaining agreement, Bertuzzi will forfeit at least
$501,926 based on his annual salary.
In addition, Bertuzzi's eligibility for next season will be
determined by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman prior to the start
of training camp.
"We want to make sure that this type of conduct will not be
tolerated in the NHL," said Colin Campbell, the league's
director of hockey operations.
The NHL also fined the Canucks' organization $250,000, claiming
the team must "accept some responsibility for what took place."
Bertuzzi was suspended indefinitely almost immediately after
incident and he sat out a 1-1 tie with the Minnesota Wild on
Wednesday night. The Canucks have 12 regular-season games
remaining and are currently fourth in the Western Conference
standings.
Assuming the Canucks make the postseason and were swept in the
first round, the suspension would be for a minimum of 17 games.
But if the Canucks were to advance to the second round, the
penalty could rival the most severe in NHL history.
Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins ended up with a 23-game
suspension after he struck then-Canucks left wing Donald
Brashear on the side of the head with his stick in February
2000. McSorley received a one-year suspension from the NHL and
later was found guilty in a provincial court of assault with a
weapon.
Tampa Bay's Gordie Dwyer received a 23-game suspension in
September 2000 for abuse of officials.
"We felt like the player had given up his right to perform for
the rest of the season," Campbell said. "Our opinion was
because of the act, because of the injury to the player and a
number of factors - we felt we had to take that away from him."
Moore may have been the victim of a premeditated act. In a
February 16 game between the teams, Moore's hit on Vancouver
star Markus Naslund resulted in a concussion that sidelined
Naslund for three games.
"(The penalty) is severe, but we dealt with it like we would
with any other player in this situation," Campbell said. "The
ramification is it will hurt the Canucks' chances of advancing
in the playoffs, but we couldn't consider that."
Campbell added that the Canucks did not do enough to "take down
the temperature" of the rivalry after the February 16 game.
"We believe the Vancouver organization ultimately bears some
responsibility for monitoring and, to the extent necessary,
attempting to moderate the focus on its team," Campbell said.
Canucks general manager Brian Burke strongly disagreed, calling
the fine "terribly unjust."
"I am shocked, shocked at the size of the fine and the
implication that (coach) Marc Crawford did anything wrong,"
Burke said.
Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix said the penalty
was appropriate.
"I'm convinced the league was careful to take into account
all the elements and acted with a clear sense of what was
fair to all parties involved," Lacroix said.
Bertuzzi already has expressed remorse for the incident. He
wiped back tears during a brief statement before Wednesday
night's game. He also attended a hearing on Wednesday in
Toronto.
Moore was unconscious for several minutes in a pool of blood
before he was carried from the ice on a stretcher.
"Steve, I just want to apologize for what happened out there,
that I had no intention of hurting you, that I feel awful what
transpired," Bertuzzi said. "To Steve's family, I'm sorry that
you had to go through this and I'm sorry again about what
happened out there."
Moore, 25, suffered a concussion, a neck fracture and facial
lacerations and abrasions. He was listed in stable condition
Wednesday in the spinal ward at Vancouver General Hospital.
"I'm relieved to hear that Steve's going to have a full
recovery," Bertuzzi said. "It means a lot to me that that's
going to happen."
Vancouver police also are investigating the incident and will
forward their findings to British Columbia legal authorities,
who will determine whether Bertuzzi will face criminal charges.