Bert's suspension

[knvb]

The decision will be handed down today, how big do you think it will be? Me I'm saying it'll be one of two things. He'll just get the last 13 games of the season OR they'll make a bit of an example out of him and give him the 13 plus (undoubtedly) the first 4 games of the play-off's until the Canucks get knocked out.

Anyone else?

 

[lean]

I would think that with all of the negative press in the US that Bettman is going to throw the book at Bert and he will be gone the entire year including playoffs and possibly may even look at some of the next year.

Lean

 

[Regs]

He's fcuked.

Because the injury is a broken neck (which it could be argued was a result of everyone piling on), he will get a year or more.

The sensationalism has gone too far it it will be the only way for the league to "make good" with those that don't know anything about the game

Now if he does get a year and there is a lockout for 1 or 2 years... well... you do the math...

~Regs.

 

[Ballbaby]

I voted 20 + but that's because the media pressure has been unparamounted. The league will have no choice.

 

[Argyle]

Front page of the USA Today!

Hockey has finally made the front page of the USA Today newspaper. Albeit for the wrong reasons....
The Stanley cup champions never make to the the front cover.

Bertuzzi should be done till the begining of next years season.

 

[the manager]

i voted 12-15, but he will certainly get more (i clicked on it too quick). they may opt for a slightly more than the average similar infraction to set an example, which will result in 15, but then on the other hand balls has a point about the unprecidented media bit, not to mention the severety of a broken neck...just sounds awful.

 

[knvb]

I have faith, can't believe I'm saying this, that the league will actually ignore the media and base it on the intent, which by past verdicts is 12-15 games. His previous 10 gamer might be the kicker though. I haven't heard, but do they take the extent of the injury into account? I sure as hell know they didn't when Karyia got the lumber to his teeth. The neck fracture, and I wish people would use that word, break sounds so Christopher Reeves, IMO, happened when everyone piled on top of him while he was out.

 

[BlazeArmy]

I can't believe I'm agreeing with the dutch boy. He''l get whatever left in the season and maybe 4 more. this is basically the same thing Matt Johnson did to Beukeboom and that got 10 games. the problem with Bertuzzi is he already has a 10 gane suspension for lkeaving the bench. i hope that isn't going to affect his penalty this time. I don't think they have ever taking the extent of injury into effect as look at all the guys who have been seriously hurt and the guy who did him gets a handful of games while the injured player sits and sits.(Kariya and Suter being the best point.) I heard they had delayed the hearing which worries me. This isn't as bad as the Mcsorley incident. Bertuzzi meant to punch him and force him to fight. It went all wrong.

 

[djones]

Rest of the season. Broken neck to the NHL is cryptinite to their credibility. They are going to have to come down hard on him especially with a criminal investigation. Does he deserve it. I dunno. The sport is taking a beating - BIG TIME right now on all fronts.

With all this NEW negative press, will the owners and players association speed up their negotiations to keep hockey going next year?

I think so. The last thing this sport needs right now is more bad publicity.

I was really looking forward to seeing the Flyers and Senators slug it out but I think this incident just diffused the situation.

 

[sensei_hanson]

Bertuzzi's previous 10-gamer will undoubtedly come up in the suspension hearing. Campbell and the NHL brass can use it as a scapegoat clause for throwing Bert into a 20-25 game suspension, claiming that he's something of a repeat offender.

McSorley and Hunter still have the largest suspensions in NHL history, with 23 and 21 games respectively. I can't imagine Bertuzzi getting anything more than that.

 

[Dapotayto]

This is getting fcuking ridiculous. Everyone, media and fans, are blowing this way out of proportion. He should be gone for no longer than the rest of the regular season and that's it. The VPD are overstepping their jurisdiction and should stick to investigating their own corrupt officers instead of trying to move the spotlight off themselves. Moore is not in a goddamn wheelchair, in fact he will be playing hockey again soon enough. Brendan Shanahan, a player on a team in direct competition with the Canucks, has even stated that Colorado and other Western Conference playoff teams are sensationalizing this for their own reasons. Of course they want to see the Canucks lose Bertuzzi for the playoffs, with him the Canucks are a threat to their own playoff success. Duh! The media, they need stories and in this day and age they need sensational stories. Feed the beast, feed the beast. What are your fcuking excuses? People make mistakes and when they know it and are remorseful you don't hang them out to dry. You help them get through the adversity. I am not even a Canucks fan and I am more embarassed at peoples lack of support here for Todd Bertuzzi than I am for what he did. Just remember what is happening to Todd if you make a mistake some day.

 

[Regs]

McSorely got 1 year I think.

~Regs.

 

[Hands of Stone]

McSorely got 1 year I think.

~Regs.

His is a totally different situation, first off, he got the rest of the season, which was 23 games, he was at the end of his hockey career, so he never played the next season.
A sucker punch is different from a sucker stick swing, even though the injury to Moore is far worse than that to Brasher.

I hope the NHL exects do the right thing and look at an incident that happens many times in a year, without injury to the player. Now if Moore was not hurt in the situation, everyone would be saying he should get under 5 games, but with Moore out for the season or more, Bert should also get more games.
Do you go with an Eye for an Eye in this situation, and sit Bert for how ever long Moore is out for. If that was the case, there would have been some very lengthy suspensions in the past for incidents that caused major injury.

Give Bert the rest of the season, and the first couple of play-off games, that is enough, the whole thing is getting way blown out.

hos

 

[Regs]

Do you go with an Eye for an Eye in this situation, and sit Bert for how ever long Moore is out for. If that was the case, there would have been some very lengthy suspensions in the past for incidents that caused major injury.

A caller this morning pointed out why that wouldn't work...

Scenerio: The Canucks and Avalanche meet in the Western Conference final... Moore is recovered and able to play but do you think the Aves tell anyone?

~Regs.

 

[girth]

I unfortunately feel the league is gonna look at this as an eye for an eye and throw the book at him.The guy has a broken neck and my question is do you think he'll ever play again? I'm still having a hard time believing Bert actually did that.Obviously it is a tough call but unless the suspension is loooong hockey gets another black eye and the uneducated american hockey fans will never forget this. I'll say Bert gets rest of season,any playoffs along with constant boo's in every rink in the USA until the next big thing happens.

 

[hammerhead]

I agree with HOS, but would like to add that the league knows where it gets its money, and money talks. The Owners pay the bills ! They arent going to destroy the Canucks chances to make money in the playoffs by not letting Bert play. I cant see him getting more than the balance of the regular season. Which will have him nice and rested for the playoffs, and with something to prove.

Media is blowing this up, because now that the trade deadline is finished, they have nothing to talk about until playoffs start

 

[lean]

TSN is reporting that the suspension will be announced tomorrow at 6:00am Pacific time.

Lean

 

[Dapotayto]

The guy has a broken neck and my question is do you think he'll ever play again?

Are you serious? This is another example of someone with their eyes wide shut and taking shite the media spews at face value. The doctors have already stated he has two cracked vertebrae. Saying he has a broken neck is substantially exaggerating the injury in order to make it more spectacular. The doctors have also stated this is the type of injury that would typically take six to twelve weeks to completely heal . Holy shite, I could go on Ebay and sell bridges by the dozen to the denizens of this city.

 

[sensei_hanson]

Just to recap some of the longer NHL suspensions in recent memory:

ESPN.com

March 10, 2004


23 games

Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins originally received a 23-game suspension for a slash to the head of Vancouver's Donald Brashear on Feb. 23, 2000. It was later extended to one year.

21 games

Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals was punished for hitting Pierre Turgeon of the New York Islanders from behind during the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs.

20 games

Brad May of the Phoenix Coyotes was suspended for a Jan. 4, 2001, slash to the head of Columbus' Steve Heinze.

15 games

- Tony Granato of the Los Angeles Kings slashed Neil Wilkinson of the Blackhawks on Feb. 9, 1994.

- On Oct. 26, 1987, Dave Brown of Philadelphia cross-checked Tomas Sandstrom of the New York Rangers.

- Colorado's Wilf Paiement was suspended for a stick-swinging incident against Detroit's Dennis Polonich on Oct. 25, 1978.

13 games

- Wayne Maki of the St. Louis Blues received his suspension for a Sept. 21, 1969, stick-swinging incident against Boston's Ted Green.

- On Dec. 12, 1933, Boston's Eddie Shore hit Ace Bailey of Toronto from behind, resulting in his suspension.

12 games

- San Jose's Brantt Myhres was punished for hitting a player on the bench and a dangerous blow to the head of Mattias Nortstrom of Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 1999.

- On May 11, 1989, Philadelphia goalie Ron Hextall was tossed for fighting with Montreal's Chris Chelios.

- Matt Johnson of Los Angeles got his penalty for deliberately injuring Jeff Beukeboom of the New York Rangers on Oct. 23, 1998.

- A high-sticking incident against Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux on Oct. 30, 1988, got David Shaw of the Rangers suspended.

11 games

- Tie Domi of Toronto threw an elbow to the head of New Jersey's Scott Neidermayer in a Stanley Cup playoff game on May 4, 2001. The suspension carried over to the first eight games of the 2002-03 season.

- An elbow to the head of Dallas' Grant Marshall got San Jose's Owen Nolan an 11-game penalty on Feb. 9, 2001.

Also worth noting

Gordie Dwyer of Tampa Bay was suspended 23 games for abuse of officials in a Sept. 19, 2000, game and the Blackhawks' Tom Lysiak got 20 games for abuse of a linesman in a Oct. 20, 1983, game.

There seems to be a precedent here that stick-swinging (or cross-checking) incidents have been punished more severely than punches, hits from behind and so on.

As much as the public and media have cried for calendar-year and lifetime suspensions, the NHL is going to have a hard time going against the precedent they set with Hunter and Johnson (who's shot from behind is probably the one you could draw the closest comparisons witht the Bertuzzi-Moore incident). This incident netted Johnson a 12-game suspension.

In terms of injury to another player - Hunter's hit on Turgeon seperated Pierre's shoulder and knocked him out of the playoffs. The score was 5-1 for the Islanders and Hunter nailed Turgeon into the boards moments after he scored the 5th goal. Turgeon (who had scored 58 goals that year) was in a sling for six weeks and missed the Patrick division finals against Pittsburgh. For this, Hunter got a 21-game suspension.

My indication is that Bertuzzi will be on the hook for 20 games for his hit on Moore. A 20-game suspension means Bertuzzi will be guaranteed to miss the remaining 13 regular season games and the first round of the playoffs (and perhaps part of the second round, depending on how the Canucks fare in round one).

 

[Stepchild]

I say 12-15. My question is how is this more serious than Johnson taking a huge hack with his stick at Cooke. Isn't that an assault with a weapon? BTW, he is Min.'s Captain and represents the team. Where was the backlash on that?
Let the league police its own matters, suspend him but do not let the media make a huge impact on the decision. As for the extent of the injury, I am sure that the type of fx. that happened was a result of the pile-up.
Why is this such a huge deal, punches are thrown all game in front of the net and are often thrown when the player is not facing the guy throwing the punch. I think Bert is an ass, but why is everyone all over him. He went too far, but criminal charges and hanging him just to save face...................lets not forget other incidences that faded away...........Draper/Lemieux for example.

Iwisheveryonewouldjustfukcoffandgobacktowhattheyweredoing!!!!