Has Hockey become too violent?

[Iain]

Thursday, Mar 11, 2004
NHL to decide Bertuzzi's fate Thursday morning

TORONTO (CP) - How long is enough?
The NHL hopes to provide the right answer Thursday morning when it punishes Vancouver star Todd Bertuzzi for sucker-punching Colorado rookie Steve Moore in a ruling that will make a statement on the place of vigilante justice in hockey. A tearful Bertuzzi apologized Wednesday night when he read a statement before the Canucks' home game against Minnesota. "Steve, I just want to apolgize for what happened out there," he said. "I had no intention of hurting you. I feel awful for what transpired."

Earlier in the day, Bertuzzi, along with Canucks general manager Brian Burke and agent Pat Morris, attended an hour-long disciplinary hearing in Toronto in front of a panel of NHL executives that included chief legal officer Bill Daly and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell. Bertuzzi and Burke, once in charge of league discipline himself, were whisked in and out of the NHL offices by a black limousine.

Bertuzzi, in speaking publicly for the first time since the incident after returning to Vancouver, fought back tears and paused several times. He said he was relieved to hear Moore is expected to make a full recovery.
"It means a lot to me to hear that's going to happen," he said.

Bertuzzi also apologized to hockey fans.

"To the fans of hockey and the fans of Vancouver, to the kids that watch this game, I'm truly sorry," he said. "I don't play the game that way.
"I'm not a mean-spirited person. I'm sorry for what happened."

A ruling will be handed down at 9 a.m. EST Thursday.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been consulted but will not be part of the disciplinary process. He would rule on a potential appeal by the Canucks.
"Mr. Campbell is going to take some time before he reaches his decision," NHL spokesman Gary Meagher said after the hearing.

The length of suspension will be debated extensively.

"The league has to be conscious not to try and pacify the masses," former goaltender Glenn (Chico) Resch said from New Jersey. "The central issue is to tell players they understand their desire to be a team player, to stand up for their teammates and payback. At the same time, there are ways to do it and that wasn't the way to do it."

Violence in hockey has become a hot-button issue amid endless television replays of the burly power forward swinging at the defenceless Moore from behind and then driving his smaller competitor to the ice.
Among other injuries, Moore sustained a fractured neck that has left him in a Vancouver hospital and cost him the rest of this season.
"There was premeditation. There was intent to injure. There was extreme violence," Damien Cox wrote in the Toronto Star. "For this, Bertuzzi should forfeit his right to participate in the NHL.

It has also sparked debate about the place of retaliatory violence in today's NHL.

Moore has been public enemy No. 1 in Vancouver since drilling Canucks captain Markus Naslund during a Feb. 16 game in Denver. Naslund suffered a concussion that sidelined him for three games but the hit garnered no penalty and prompted no league action.

During a 9-2 loss to Avalanche on Monday in Vancouver, the Canucks took matters into their own hands, mere days after the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers combined for an NHL-record 419 penalty minutes in a game all about retribution.

Legendary coach Scotty Bowman said the league has been forced to be tough on Bertuzzi.
"What's not going to help him is there's been some pretty ugly incidents lately in other games like the Philadelphia-Ottawa game," said Bowman.
"What would happen if Vancouver played Colorado in the playoffs? And he's served his suspension already. That's got to be on (the league's) mind."

While the pundits have shown no mercy for Bertuzzi's actions, former players have shown some empathy.
"I feel somewhat for Todd Bertuzzi because while he was trying to punch to the guy he didn't mean for something like this to happen," Hall of Famer Bernie Federko said from St. Louis. "And Todd Bertuzzi is not that type of player.

"Yes, he made a mistake, but he's an all-star. He'll be the first to admit he did something wrong."

That's exactly what Bertuzzi did Wednesday night.

The earlier hearing was supposed to start at 9 a.m. EST but was delayed to around noon. The meeting also included NHL Players' Association officials and NHL executives Jim Gregory and Mike Murphy.

"There's an account given of what took place, there's an interaction, there's video of the incident, there's reports of the officials that are read," said Meagher.

The ugly Monday night incident rekindled memories of Marty McSorley, then with the Boston Bruins, being charged with assault in Vancouver after knocking out then-Canuck Donald Brashear with a stick to the head in February 2000.

McSorley, suspended by the NHL for a year, was convicted of assault and given an 18-month conditional discharge.
Matt Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings was handed a 12-game suspension for deliberately injuring Jeff Beukeboom of the New York Rangers in 1998. Beukeboom's subsequent head injury eventually forced him out of the game.
Philadelphia goalie Ron Hextall also received a 12-game suspension for attacking Montreal's Chris Chelios during a playoff game in 1989. Owen Nolan, then of the San Jose Sharks, got 11 games for hitting Grant Marshall in the head in 2001.
Winnipeg's Jimmy Mann got 10 games for sucker-punching Pittsburgh's Paul Gardner in 1982, while Ruslan Salei of Anaheim was hit with a 10-game suspension for hitting Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars from behind in 1999.
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I have opened up this topic for discussion because it is very hotly debated right now in not just the Vancouver media and general public but across north america, I actually hear disscussion on hockey on radio shows in the states that only concerned themselfs with baseball, football and basketball.

Yet hockey is getting attention again for all the wrong reasons, Todd Bertuzzi a power foreward for the Vancouver Canucks (and a All-Star) is now suspended for the rest of the NHL season for his actions Monday, he will also miss the play-offs and must report to the NHL league before playing next season.
Steve Moore remains in hospital with neck injurys, he will not play anymore this season either.

I realise that Hockey is a tough sport and a hard hitting game, and that fights have been traditional for years in hockey, but frankly the events I witnessed on Monday night shocked and sickened me, yes Moore put Canucks captain Markus Naslund out for three games with a concussion, and yes he probably was going to get retribution for that event next time the two teams met, but what happened in my viewpoint has swung too far the other way now, Moore already fought one Canuck that night and to be hunted down by another one later in the game by a player who's efforts would be better shown perhaps in scoreing some goals.

Now I am only posting this because I have been affected by the entire event, it is difficult to get balanced commentary on this subject in Vancouver as people are very supportive of their hometeam(its like that anywhere really, the 'other' team is always the bad guys) I would just like to know if anyone else has an opinion on this event.
I welcome all commentary on this as I am courious to know what opinions outside of my hometown are like.

[Sky Scorcher]

Thats a big "Duh" from me.

[SteelDragon]

Yup, hockey is no longer a Sport imo, its now just Boxing on Ice. i mean when i goto a game, i'd like to see a game of Hockey, not a demo of "Super Punch Out 64"
even after they were told to tone it down, it incressed another 23%, horrible..i hate Hockey now

[Iain]

A look at some of the NHL's longest suspensions:

Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver Canucks, rest of regular season (13 games) and playoffs: For his sucker-punch on Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore on Monday night. Bertuzzi's eligibility will be reviewed prior to the start of training camp for the 2004-05 season when he meets with commissioner Gary Bettman.

Marty McSorley, Boston Bruins, one year: For knocking out Vancouver's Donald Brashear with a stick-swinging hit in February 2000. He was originally suspended for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs - which turned out to be 23 games, the Bruins did not make the playoffs. The suspension was subsequently extended to one year.

Gordie Dwyer, Tampa Bay Lightning, 23 games: For abusing officials and coming out of the penalty box to fight in an exhibition game against the Washington Capitals on Sept. 19 2000.

Dale Hunter, Washington, 21 games: For a blindside check of Pierre Turgeon of the N.Y. Islanders after a goal in a playoff game in May 1993.

Tom Lysiak, Chicago Blackhawks, 20 games: For intentionally tripping a linesman in October, 1983.

Brad May, Phoenix Coyotes, 20 games: For slashing the head of Columbus' Steve Heinze with his stick.

Eddie Shore, Boston Bruins, 16 games: For hitting Toronto's Ace Bailey over the head with his stick in 1933.

Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens, 15 games (3 regular season, 12 playoff games): For levelling linesman Cliff Thompson during a scuffle with Boston's Hal Laycoe in March 1955.

Wilf Paiement, Colorado Rockies, 15 games: For swinging his stick and hitting Detroit's Dennis Polonich in the face in October, 1978.

Dave Brown, Philadelphia Flyers, 15 games: For cross-checking Tomas Sandstrom of the N.Y. Rangers across the face and breaking his jaw in November, 1987.

Tony Granato, Los Angeles Kings, 15 games: For slashing Pittsburgh's Neil Wilkinson in February, 1994.


Wayne Maki, St. Louis Blues, Ted Green, Boston Bruins, 13 games each: For a swinging their sticks at each other in September, 1969.

Andre Roy, Tampa Bay Lightning, 13 games: For leaving the penalty box and physically abusing an official while trying to engage players in the New York Rangers penalty box in April, 2002.

Brantt Myhres, San Jose Sharks, 12 games: For leaving the bench to attack Los Angeles' Mattias Norstrom in February, 1999.

Matt Johnson, Los Angeles Kings, 12 games: For deliberately injuring the New York Rangers' Jeff Beukeboom in November, 1998.

Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers, 12 games: For attacking Montreal's Chris Chelios during a playoff game in May, 1989.

David Shaw, New York Rangers, 12 games: For high-sticking Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux in October, 1988.

Owen Nolan, San Jose Sharks, 11 games: For a hit to the head of Grant Marshall of the Dallas Stars in February, 2001.

Tie Domi, Toronto Maple Leafs, 11 games (3 playoff games, eight regular season games): For knocking out Scott Niedermayer with an elbow to the head in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2001. Domi was suspended for the balance of the Leafs' post-season, which lasted three games, and the first eight games of the 2002-03 regular season.

Jimmy Mann, Winnipeg Jets, 10 games: For sucker-punching Pittsburgh's Paul Gardner in January, 1982.

Ruslan Salei, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 10 games: For hitting Dallas' Mike Modano from behind in October, 1999.

Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils, 10 games: For hitting Florida's Peter Worrell in the head with his stick in March, 2000.





© The Canadian Press, 2004

[Delacroix]

I'm assuming this this is Ice Hockey. The whole idea is lost on us Brits i really dont see the appeal of the game in general.

[Iain]

Delacroix said:

I'm assuming this this is Ice Hockey. The whole idea is lost on us Brits i really dont see the appeal of the game in general.

Ah yes, Hockey is to Canadians what Football is to the Brits. Its very emotional and tempers quite often run high in Ice Hockey.

Mind you give a bunch of very big men armour to wear and a stick to swing and no wonder there is so much violence in hockey.

[IOE]

hockey is kinda boring to me
so i wouldnt know

[Shikanosuke]

I disagree that hockey has become too violent. I think most things in american society have been dulled-down in general. Its much like the whole discussion over wether or not dogde ball should be banned from schools because it was violent. I don't particularly watch hockey anymore and the 'violence' that I do see is expected and usually cheered on by the crowd. When someone gets run through with a stick or maned in some ugly way, then perhaps I'll consider wether not its too violent or not. If the American public thought it was too violent, they would stop buying tickets.

[xtimeconsumerx]

i agree with the last post. i live in the deep south of USA and not a lot of talk goes on about hockey. in my old home town of north carolina, we had a city hockey team. and atleast a third of the people who go to the games use to go just to see a 25 year old man on iceskates get thrown in the penalty box for fighting

[Zhuge_Flea]

I went to a fight and a hockey match broke out. lol. my bro used to play hokey and hes had his fair share of fights.