Todd Bertuzzi Suspension...How Long?

[SirLickheralot]

That type of punch would get you an assault charge in the real world - don't kid yourself. Bertuzzi sould be charged with assault as the act went beyond the game itself.

If you're going to apply the real world rules to hockey you may as well shut down the league now because a very large percentage of the players would be criminals. In the real world we'd be charged with assault for hitting people with sticks too. In hockey its a common occurance to seeing players slashing and hacking each other with their sticks. Earlier in the game Matt Cooke and Steve Moore had a fight why not charge both of them with assault as well? In the previous game 3 different players were smacking around Jarko Ruutu and giving him face washes out of frustration, why not charge them with assault as well?

This should be a matter for the league to deal with not the law.

 

[gordo]

Well Moore did fight that night against Cook it should have been over then LIFE ban for Bert nothing less if this had happened to a Toronto player all you leaf fans would be asking for the death penalty

 

[Jim Rome]

Hey SirLicheralot,
There have been at least 5 high profile cases involving NHLers being charged with assault for on-ice incidents. Ciccarelli even spent a day in jail on an assault charge. On an assault charge the Crown has to prove at least 2 elements beyond a reasonable doubt - lack of consent by the victim and intentional application of force. In sports related assault charges degree of consent is a key issue. Hockey players consent to a certain level of physical play when they skate onto the ice, including your garden variety slashing, hacking, elbowing, etc. - run of the mill stuff. They also consent to the occasional stepping up of such attacks in the heat of the battle. They do not however consent to premeditated, vicious attacks involving incidents such as brutal assaults with the stick (the stick is considered a weapon) and especially head shots and, IMHO, blind-siding your opponent, driving him into the ice and elbow-dropping onto his head. It's a question of degree. You're totally out to lunch - criminal charges for face-washing ??? Re-read your post and realize how stupid you sound.

Kathleen you should mince your words in the future; it makes it easier to eat them. 2 games ????? I think you stand alone in all of North America on that one !!!!

 

[scubadoo]

Awww. I promise to be a fun date. I really get into the Leaf games, and promise to wear something that would have the camera guy on us all night.
Pleeeaasee....lol

Kathleen

Heck....I'd pay more than $150.00 o go with Kathleen to a game. I made her an offer to book her for the whole night and pay her travel expenses to come to Ottawa to watch the Sens vs Leafs game on April 3, but she said she was busy.

 

[lube monkey]

You have to understand the rules that apply.

Any more than 2 strides before body contact is made is considered a charging penalty. Would warrant 2 min, 5 and a game, or a match, if the official sees the hit as a attempt to injure.

There is nothing wrong with a good open ice hit, so long as the player receiving is in possesion of the puck, and no more than 2 strides are taken to deliver that hit. Not the case here.

Remember, the whole idea of body contact is to simply take your man off of the puck, not to take him to the hospital.

LM

 

[seven]

I say Bertuzzi should be suspended for the whole season including the playoffs. He should be warned that if he pulls a stunt like that again, he will be banned for life. It is only fair to the other players b/c you can't have headcases that can't control their tempers going off on other players like that. Players have to respect certain boundaries for the benefit of the game and everyone else involved in it.

 

[Goober Mcfly]

"They put one of ours in the hospital, we put one of theirs in the morgue."

</Connery>

 

[bootycall28]

pay $150/hr. to take Kathleen to a hockey game?

No thanks.

As a rule I don't talk hockey with women for this exact reason (rare exceptions). They just don't understand. Pay to have Miss Cliff Claven yapping in your ear all game? It would be pure torture even for free cost! Hahahahahaha.

Booty

 

[lube monkey]

That's bullshit! have a good fair fight and get it over with!

 

[The Doctor]

I'm not defending Bertuzzi but...

Well I finally had a chance to watch the tape last night over and over again and it ranks up there as one of the all time cheap shots. The outcome is grusome, and I'm glad to hear that Moore should make a complete recovery, but at this point I no longer believe the entire incident was pre-meditated. Yes Bertuzzi wanted him all night and he suckered him from behind instead of standing up face to face and dealing with it...something Moore probably wouldn't have done. But everything after the punch was a complete and terrible accident.

I believe that Moore was out cold as soon as Bert's punch connected...and in the split second between the punch and them hitting the ground, there is no way Bertuzzi could have known the seriousness of Moore's condition and the vulnerability. If he were not out cold, his hands would have been coming up to his face and he would have been falling to the ice to turtle somewhat protected. If this happens Bertuzzi falling on him is of little consequence, but the fact the Moore was unconscious left him unprotected when his face hit the ice and vulnerable when Bertuzzi landed on him.

The attack was brutal and Bertuzzi is looking at a supsension that will put him second only to McSorely's and deservedly so. But beyond the the punch, which was cheap, the rest happened in a split second and there is no way Bertuzzi could have know that Moore was unconscious nor the seriousness of the situation.

 

[doubledown]

Bertuzzi has lost his cool a couple of other times and been suspended, and this will have a negative impact on this incident. Also, this has gotten a lot of press so the league will come down hard on him. I would think that he will be gone for at least the remainder of the regular season. They could let him play in the playoffs and suspend him for an additional number of games next season as this will have more impact from a $$ point for Bertuzzi since they are not paid for the playoffs.
This would also not penalize the entire team for his actions.

 

[shredder]

Remember, the whole idea of body contact is to simply take your man off of the puck, not to take him to the hospital.

LM

What kind of a pansey ass statement is that. Do you say sorry after you hit the guy or say excuse me to the guy who is trying to block your way to the net in the leagues you played in? In a perfect world and if there was no emotion and no competitive aspect to the game this may be the case. But when there's something on the line the body contact serves one purpose...intimidation! You make sure the contact is sufficiently hard to get your opponent to think twice when in you vicinity. If done within the rules, there is never a malicious intent to cause bodily harm, but your hit is there to send a message, that being, you will pay the price if have the puck and you come near me again.

 

[The Doctor]

Awww. I promise to be a fun date. I really get into the Leaf games, and promise to wear something that would have the camera guy on us all night.
Pleeeaasee....lol

Kathleen

I would definitely do something for my public image.


FYI- TSN reports that the hearing has been delayed. They didn't say when it would start.

 

[MojoRisin']

Earlier in the game Matt Cooke and Steve Moore had a fight why not charge both of them with assault as well?
This should be a matter for the league to deal with not the law.

Because Steve Moore by dropping his gloves and fighting back accepted the fight...unlike Bertuzzis blind side attack and slam to the ice. thats the difference

 

[MojoRisin']

Heck....I'd pay more than $150.00 o go with Kathleen to a game. I made her an offer to book her for the whole night and pay her travel expenses to come to Ottawa to watch the Sens vs Leafs game on April 3, but she said she was busy.

Ok ok ill come instead then...no seriously!

 

[Jim Rome]

Re: I'm not defending Bertuzzi but...

I believe that Moore was out cold as soon as Bert's punch connected...and in the split second between the punch and them hitting the ground, there is no way Bertuzzi could have known the seriousness of Moore's condition and the vulnerability. If he were not out cold, his hands would have been coming up to his face and he would have been falling to the ice to turtle somewhat protected. If this happens Bertuzzi falling on him is of little consequence, but the fact the Moore was unconscious left him unprotected when his face hit the ice and vulnerable when Bertuzzi landed on him.

First of all, I don't buy that it happened that way. Bertuzzi fully intended to punch Moore and then fall on top of him hard to the ice. He was right on top of him. Watch the tape. Secondly, even if it occurred in the way you describe, it highly likely that it still constituted an assault. It's sufficient to prove that he should have reasonably forseen the consequences of his actions. First, the punch was a vicious sucker-punch which had the potential of knocking him unconscious. Secondly, he wrapped his arm around him and purposely fell on top of him. If you watch his left arm he purposely drives Moore's shoulders down towards the ice. It was highly likely that in falling on him Moore would hit the ice hard. The fact he was knocked out cold and his face hit the ice was therefore a reasonably forseeable consequence of the way in which Moore was attacked, and in fact I would argue intentional. At law both findings are enough. That he elbowed his head into the ice is an aggravating factor which a court will also likely take into consideration.

You can't argue that Bertuzzi should be acquitted because he "did not know" that Moore was going to be knocked unconscious and "he did not know" that by falling on top of him he'd fracture his neck and suffer deep facial cuts. Doctor, you're out to lunch !!

 

[DenWa]

If someone in the military who has been trained to fight beats the shit out of a civilian and messes him up real bad, there are going to be more severe ramifications because they are aware of the damage they can do as a result of their training. A hockey player like Bertuzzi is no different, as he is very aware of what can happen when you punch somebody from behind and carry them down face first onto the ice.

There is assumed risk when playing in the NHL, but what Bertuzzi did has nothing to do with the game of hockey.

DW

 

[Asterix]

Maybe it's about time they retired the Lady Byng Trophy.

 

[fernie]

He'll be charged and convicted [deserved].

McSorley was convicted - got a 18 month conditional sentence.

Fernie

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Hearing's over, no word on decision...