Bertuzzi or Simon

[Stickman]

So last night Chris Simon did this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht6RyAI9370

3 years ago to the day Todd Burtuzzi did this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjdS8SDc37s

Which is worse?

I think Simon's was worse but he's going to get a lighter suspension because the other guy only needed a couple stitches. Steve Moore is unable to play hockey three years later. Not condoning Bertuzzi's actions but Simon won't be villified the way Bertuzzi was.

[Blitz]

Bertuzzi's was worse considering Steve Moore's career is likely done.

Both are disgusting, and Simon's probably looks worse initially, but Todd's was way worse.

[Stickman]

If Moore's neck didn't break would we even remember it?

[Linkbowler]

Both were bad, but I'd say Bertuzzi's was worse. Hollweg was skating toward Simon, so most of the impact was from the momentum, not the hit. Bertuzzi came up from behind Moore and went right for the neck. Simon should be suspended, but Bertuzzi shouldn't even still be in the league.

[Blitz]

If Moore's neck didn't break would we even remember it?
Yes.

[Stickman]

Both were bad, but I'd say Bertuzzi's was worse. Hollweg was skating toward Simon, so most of the impact was from the momentum, not the hit. Bertuzzi came up from behind Moore and went right for the neck. Simon should be suspended, but Bertuzzi shouldn't even still be in the league.

Hey didn't go for the neck, he tried to punch him in the head. I think it'd hurt more to get hit in the face if skating towards a guy baseball swinging his stick.

And sorry Blitz, I don't think anybody would talk about the Bertuzzi sucker punch if Moore didn't get hurt. We dont' constantly harp on Dino Cicerrelli, Marty McSorelly, and Hatcher's hit as much as the Bertuzzi situation. Why? none of those victims broke their neck.

Again, I'm totally not defending Bertuzzi.

[Blitz]

And sorry Blitz, I don't think anybody would talk about the Bertuzzi sucker punch if Moore didn't get hurt. We dont' constantly harp on Dino Cicerrelli, Marty McSorelly, and Hatcher's hit as much as the Bertuzzi situation. Why? none of those victims broke their neck.
We still remember them. I haven't heard anyone "harp" on the Bertuzzi situation in a while now.

[Stickman]

I guess it's different here in Vancouver. But the National on CBC had an interview with Moore 2 nights ago, so it still is brought up.

[Stickman]

When Bertuzzi got traded to Detroit the first question the media asked him was in regards to Steve Moore.

[Blitz]

Is asking him a question harping on it? Of course he'll get asked about it forever. If he wins 15 Stanley cups, the Moore incident will still be what he's remembered for. And as well it should be as it was one of the worst things in the history of the game.

But just asking him about it is not the same as "harping" on it.

[Stickman]

True, but I still think Simon's is almost as bad. The same with McSorely.

[Blitz]

There's no question that they were all horrible. But the injury to the other player should be a factor.

[Stickman]

I dunno. I mean, some people injure easier than others or just have worse luck. I think the NHL needs to crack down on this type of shit though. Start suspending guys more often and for longer periods of time

[Moonax]

I think you need to apply some kind of context to the hits.

Simon had been dumped on his arse by a clean legal hit. He was pissed off and attacked Hollweg because he was embarrassed.

Bertuzzi was responding to i) an illegal, late hit by Moore on Naslund than wasn't called. A cheap shot by Moore - something that seems to get forgotten. ii) in the time between the two games the likes of Don Cherry and other hockey journalists were accusing the Canucks of being 'soft' and not protecting Naslund. I seem to recall Cherry virtually demanding that one of the Canuck enforcers go after Moore and other Avs players. Essentially accusing them of being pussies. iii) The NHL had failed to take any action against Moore for his cheap shot. Thus there was seen to be the greater need for the Canuck players to take revenge and protect their star player.

This is not to excuse Bertuzzi - IMO it was a calculated attack on Moore which did intend to hurt him - but almost certainly not to break his neck.

Now, if there is some good that has come out of Bertuzzi-Moore its that the NHL is now acting much more quickly when hits similar to Moore's original hit occur. ie the Kaberle incident.

Look at it this way the situation has been nipped in the bud, there is no need for Avery or another Rangers goon to go after Smyth next time the teams meet because the NHL has actually dealt with the situation.

[ct2k]

Fuck context, you hit a guy in the back of the head like that you should be banned permanently, its not a cheap shot its a potentially fatal one.

[Moonax]

Any hit is a potentially fatal hit.

Look at these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=634nSML35AE

The point is this - the media prior to the second Avs-Canucks game ramped up the situation and then turned around and acted all pious when the situation got out of hand.

To make Bertuzzi the villian of the piece is to ignore those responsible for creating the situation in the first place - ie Moore, the media and the NHL. Bertuzzi was the mere agent of a wider culture within hockey and the media.

As stickman points out - if Moore hadn't broken his neck no one would remember that hit.

[YOUR Hero]

Also the game in which the event happened was one sided on the score sheet. Granato should never have had Moore out on the ice that late in the game. Again, this isn't a point I make to shift blame, just something I'm pointing out. People forget these little facts. Emotions were running high, Moore did have a player get him into a fight earlier in the game, but it was a shit fight and hadn't in the eyes of the Canucks, settled the score. Late in the game Moore is put on the ice when he shouldn't have been. Bertuzzi hit him and bad luck followed.

Simon is a repeat offender. People say he's a very nice guy, that he's very accommodating and does a lot for charities in the city he's playing in. That's great, but he's a bit of a spazz with his temper. The hit he took was a bit cheap and his reaction to it was no where near as premeditated as Bertuzzi's but it was still within his control. I doubt he meant to hurt him, just like we all know Bertuzzi didn't mean to injure Moore as he did, both however where poor decisions made in the heat of the moment that they all wish they could take back.

[OssMan]

oh i thought bertuzzi attacked brashear. now my thread doesnt make sense

[KleptoKlown]

I was reading...I think on TSN.ca that its been revealed that the leauge or the Avs had Moore wear a microphone on that game, because they knew he was going to be a target, apparently they have a whole games worth of recorded threats and whatnot.

As it has been said, the only reason we remeber the Bertuzzi/Moore thing is because of the extent of the injury. If Moore was not hurt, the hit would still be remembered, it just wouldnt be as hot of a topic three years later. It would be archived with many other cheap shots over the years.

[Caged Heat18]

I think the Bertuzzi incident was a lot worse. Not defending Simon at all, but his was in the heat of the moment, where Bertuzzi and the Canucks already had a target on Moore for his hit on Naslund in prior game. Bertuzzi followed Moore up the ice, with time to think about what he was going to do, where Simon literally got up reacted with a horrible decision without thinking. Again not condoing Simon at all, he deserves his suspension.