Scandals & Feuds ·
The Attack That Ended Steve Moore’s NHL Career
Todd Bertuzzi’s punch from behind in March 2004 left Moore with a concussion and fractured vertebrae. An NHL suspension was followed by a criminal charge and a guilty plea.
During the third period of Vancouver’s game against Colorado on March 8, 2004, Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi punched Steve Moore in the head from behind. Moore fell face-first to the ice; Bertuzzi fell on top of him, and other players piled on. Moore was carried away on a stretcher. The attack left the Avalanche rookie with a concussion and fractured vertebrae, injuries that ultimately ended his NHL career.
The teams had a recent history involving Moore. On February 16, his open-ice hit on Canucks captain Markus Naslund had left Naslund with a concussion. The NHL ruled that hit legal. Vancouver and Colorado met again on March 3 without incident, amid fears of retaliation and with league commissioner Gary Bettman attending. Five days later, Bertuzzi attacked Moore in front of spectators at Vancouver’s GM Place and a television audience.
On March 10, Bertuzzi apologized to Moore. “I had no intention on hurting you,” he said. “I feel awful for what transpired.” The next day, the NHL suspended him for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs and fined the Canucks $250,000. Bertuzzi missed 13 regular-season games and seven postseason games, losing nearly $502,000 in salary. He would have to apply to the league for reinstatement before he could play again.
The league’s punishment did not end the matter. In June, British Columbia authorities charged Bertuzzi with assault causing bodily harm. Geoff Gaul, a spokesman for the province’s Criminal Justice Branch, said prosecutors had concluded that “there is sufficient evidence to charge Mr. Bertuzzi.” The Canucks said they would continue to support Bertuzzi and his family. The NHL objected to the prosecution: “We did what we believe was right, for the players involved and the sport as a whole. We, therefore, would have preferred that the Crown not take this action.”
Moore’s recovery remained difficult. Around the time the charge was announced, his aunt, Jean deMarco, said he still could not do any physical exertion. By the time of Bertuzzi’s guilty plea, Moore’s injuries were reported to include three fractured vertebrae, facial cuts, post-concussion symptoms and amnesia. His lawyer, Tim Danson, sought a delay in sentencing so Moore could travel to Vancouver to address the court, saying he and Moore had learned of the plea agreement only shortly before the hearing.
On December 22, 2004, Bertuzzi pleaded guilty to criminal assault causing bodily harm. He was sentenced to one year of probation and 80 hours of community service.
The NHL reinstated Bertuzzi on August 8, 2005. Between his suspension and the lockout that cancelled the 2004–05 season, he had been away from the ice for 17 months. Moore’s NHL career ended with the injuries he suffered that night in Vancouver.