12/18/24
March 11, 2004
I think that the NHL was right on here, and it's because his eligibility for next year is to be determined later. For once, I think the NHL made the right decision. Suspend the guy for the rest of the season, not make a knee-jerk reaction, and take some time to consider his future between now and then. I'm sure that his actions between now and then will be taken into account.
posted by adampsyche at 08:39 AM on March 11, 2004
There's a post below this one. While I appreciate the upswing in hockey posts.... sigh, it's all for the wrong reasons. Especially now in the final playoff run, the fighting for 8th spot in the West and the competitive battle for the North East.
posted by mkn at 08:40 AM on March 11, 2004
HockeyFilter! ;)
posted by scully at 08:48 AM on March 11, 2004
This is exactly the right suspension, though I wouldn't have complained if he got more. I'm sure if this had happened in the middle of the season, the sentence would have been the same: year + playoffs. It's a strong statement by the league, one that says quite simply: "Pull a stunt like this, and you're gone for the year, at minimum." It's even more telling in comparison to the Ottawa/Philly brawlfest last week, where no suspensions were even considered, much less given. And that's because there is plenty of room in hockey for physicality, so long as it's done honourably and within the bounds of common decency, principles Bertuzzi chose to ignore. I think these suspensions work. The example that comes to mind is jumping off the bench to fight someone on the ice. This used to happen all the time, until the league instituted an automatic 10-game suspension for those who jump the boards. Now, nobody does it, ever. Even during a donnybrook like Ott/Phi. The 'Nucks are supremely fucked, as well they should be. Bertuzzi's actions can't be taken as if in a vacuum. The locker room (incl. Coach Crawford) bloodlust for Moore played no small part in the incident, and losing their star player for the year is an appropriate punishment for the team as well (although the Canucks were fined $250,000 on top of it all).
posted by Succa at 08:59 AM on March 11, 2004
Personally, I don't give a flying damn who the player is, he should've lost at least a full season, if not a permanent ban. He almost killed another person over a fucking game, for fuck sakes...