Bertuzzi charged with assault for sucker-punch

Once again, the NHL is going on trial.
Vancouver Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi was charged yesterday with assault causing bodily harm for a March 8 on-ice attack that left Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore with a broken neck and his NHL career in doubt.
Bertuzzi has been ordered to appear in provincial court July 9.
If found guilty, the 29-year-old Bertuzzi could face a penalty ranging from jail time to an absolute discharge with no criminal record.
Bertuzzi’s sucker-punch during the third period of a Colorado blowout win has been shown repeatedly on television across North America and elsewhere. The incident was a major embarrassment for the league, and renewed debate about violence and the culture of hockey.
The incident left the 25-year-old Moore in hospital with three fractured vertebrae, facial cuts, significant post-concussion symptoms, and “significant amnesia.”
Nerves in the neck area also were stretched by the blow.
Doctors say it’s not known when, or if, the native of Windsor, Ont. will play hockey again.
Yesterday’s announcement comes on the eve of the NHL’s entry draft this weekend in Raleigh, N.C.—a showcase event for the league. Now the spotlight of future stars will be shared with talk of lawyers and on-ice violence.
Geoffrey Gaul, director of legal services for the B.C. Criminal Justice Branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General, defended the length of time it took to decide whether charges should be laid.
“It didn’t take too long to make the decision,” said Gaul. “It took as long as the Crown required to do a complete assessment of the available evidence.
“The Crown will not make a decision on charges unless we’re satisfied that we have sufficient evidence to allow us to make a charging decision.”
Bertuzzi could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail if the trial is held in B.C. Supreme Court. Legal experts say that penalty would be reserved only for the worst cases with repeat offenders and is highly unlikely in this incident.
If the case is heard in B.C. provincial court, the maximum penalty is 18 months. The venue is up to the Crown, which has yet to decide, according to Gaul.
Following the incident, the NHL suspended Bertuzzi for the final 13 games of the regular season and Vancouver’s seven playoff games. He must have a hearing with the league before he can be reinstated.
The ban cost Bertuzzi $501,926.39 (U.S.) of his $6.8-million salary. The Canucks also were fined $250,000.
Bertuzzi, who also was left off Team Canada’s roster for this fall’s World Cup, has hired Len Doust—one of B.C.’s most high-profile lawyers—to represent him.
Hockey has gone to the dock before in Vancouver.
Marty McSorley, then with the Boston Bruins, was charged with assault after hitting then-Canuck Donald Brashear with a stick to the head in February, 2000.
McSorley, now coach of the Springfield Falcons in the AHL, was convicted of assault with a weapon and given an 18-month conditional discharge. He never played in the NHL again.
The protagonists in the two cases are quite different, however. McSorley was a renowned tough guy. And he went after Brashear—another of the league’s small band of enforcers.
Bertuzzi is a one of the league’s biggest stars—a marquee player who can score goals and bang bodies. Moore is a rookie seeing limited playing time, a virtual unknown to most hockey fans at the time.
There was history between the two teams. Moore had injured Canucks’ captain Markus Naslund in a previous game with a mid-ice hit that was not penalized.
Naslund suffered a concussion and was sidelined for three games.
Yesterday, the Vancouver Canucks issued a statement supporting their star winger.
“The matter is now before the courts and we will continue to support Todd and his family through this process,” the team said. “Although we appreciate the interest in this development, the Vancouver Canuck organization will have no further comment at this time.”
The NHL promised its full co-operation with authorities. But Bill Daly, the league’s executive vice-president and chief legal officer, repeated the league view that it had “rendered an appropriate decision, one that was stern and swift.”
“We did what we believe was right, for the players involved and the sport as a whole,” he added in a statement. “We, therefore, would have preferred that the Crown not take this action.”
The Avalanche also promised to co-operate with authorities.