Hockey Fans: Bertuzzi slugs Moore... opinions?

[nordberg]

ban him for life...period.

that will set a much needed precedent...

[PAlexC]

Had he been known for taking things too far or close, I'd agree with you nords.

But the league isn't going to go banning a premier player.

Hockey players tend to police themselves. I gaurantee there's not a single soul in the league who wasn't horrified at this, or trying to justify his actions. There's no example needed, and banning him isn't going to defer anyone's future actions.

Megatoon's right, the instigator rule needs to go. Even in that game, Bertuzzi would've gotten away with an instigator penalty and a minor suspension if had had been jabberjawing with moore and was standing in front of him with a bit of shoving first.

[nordberg]

it's just weird that hockey still allows fighting by giving penalties instead of suspensions. all other sports give suspensions, or at least ejections. why does this have to remain part of the sport? and maybe premiere players should set an example by NOT fighting if they are so 'needed'...

again, i'm not arguing, just asking - i've probably watched a total of 5 hockey games in my life!

[jAQUAN]

on another note, its not the first sucker punch in hockey history. I don't think he have hit him like had he known he was gonna go down like that. I don't watch hockey but by the sounds of this thread that guy was kind of a *****. He fell forward and his feet went backwards causing the attacker to fall on him so it's not like he tackled him. Still uncalled for in any light but that dude shut off like a swtich!

[hurricaneone]

Originally posted by PAlexC
But the league isn't going to go banning a premier player.

Then the league needs to get it's priorities straight.

Intentionally or not, the guy had his neck broken, and in a very malicious way. What's more important? Ticket sales, or the chance that he could have very easily never been able to walk again?

And how many kids are now saying 'I'll whack you like Bertuzzi'? What sort of message does it send if he gest nothing more than a fine? Not to mention the whole farce that is fining. Until fines become $1 million or more, will any professional sports players really take that as a serious punishment?

[haikumania]

Originally posted by PAlexC
There's no example needed, and banning him isn't going to defer anyone's future actions.

Admittedly, I don't watch much hockey, but the idea that a lifetime ban would not deter future actions seems crazy. If players knew that the end of their career was awaiting them if the did this stuff, I think you would see it end quick.

The other major sports have lifetime bans for only a few incidents (gambling for baseball, a couple drug offenses in football, etc) and you don't see players committing those lifetime banishement offenses very often.

Hockey players aren't stupid, they aren't going to give up their career and all the money that goes with it to cheapshot a guy.

My 2 cents.

Adam

[DigitalOne]

Originally posted by jAQUAN
on another note, its not the first sucker punch in hockey history. I don't think he have hit him like had he known he was gonna go down like that. I don't watch hockey but by the sounds of this thread that guy was kind of a *****. He fell forward and his feet went backwards causing the attacker to fall on him so it's not like he tackled him. Still uncalled for in any light but that dude shut off like a swtich!

Moore is certainly no "p***y". He's an excellent open-ice hitter. He also fought a player earlier in the game. When Bert hit him, he was knocked unconscious immediately.

[PAlexC]

Originally posted by nordberg
again, i'm not arguing, just asking - i've probably watched a total of 5 hockey games in my life!

They no comments on the role of fighting in hockey.

Moore is certainly no "p***y". He's an excellent open-ice hitter. He also fought a player earlier in the game. When Bert hit him, he was knocked unconscious immediately.

He picked a fight with someone half his size. Hid behind Peter Worrell's skirt the game before, and wouldn't go when someone his size challenged him. He's a punk kid trying to make a name by taking a run at a star player. You can bet your ass if Jovonovski were around that kid would be laid out in a clean open-ice, scott-stevens-aint'-got-nothin'-on-me hit.

Admittedly, I don't watch much hockey, but the idea that a lifetime ban would not deter future actions seems crazy. If players knew that the end of their career was awaiting them if the did this stuff, I think you would see it end quick.

Hockey players frown upon cheap shots to begin with. Again, there's no one in the game right now laughing or smiling about this. Being that you don't watch a lot of hockey, I can assume you also don't know much about the attitudes and unwritten rules of the players. Even a guy like Tie Domi respects other players.

I think the punishment is just fine. It cost his team any shot they would have had at the cup. Maybe up the financial fine to a million.

[haikumania]

I'm just saying that I think unwritten rules would be forgotten real quick if a lifetime ban from the game was likely...baseball has unwritten rules as well, but I doubt Clemens would throw at anyone's head in retaliation if he knew he'd be banned for life for doing it.

I'm not saying that Bertuzzi should be banned for life, I just think that a punishment that severe would limit these types of actions. It's not like it was a heat of the moment thing...he had time to think about it and would not have done it if he thought it would end his own career.

Adam

[[email protected]]

Originally posted by nordberg
it's just weird that hockey still allows fighting by giving penalties instead of suspensions. all other sports give suspensions, or at least ejections. why does this have to remain part of the sport?

Supposedly, keeping fighting in the game is supposed to prevent more serious incidents such as this...ya know, if the players can scrap a little bit here and there when they piss each other off they will not build up aggression and unleash a very vicious attack like in this case....

Take that for what its worth. That's what I have heard from commentators and the like..it is not necessarily my opinion on the matter. Although, I can see their point.

[jAQUAN]

What else would all those pads be used for? Imagine the sport without contact, it would be almost as boring as soccer... sorry Nord.

[DigitalOne]

Originally posted by PAlexC
He picked a fight with someone half his size. Hid behind Peter Worrell's skirt the game before, and wouldn't go when someone his size challenged him. He's a punk kid trying to make a name by taking a run at a star player. You can bet your ass if Jovonovski were around that kid would be laid out in a clean open-ice, scott-stevens-aint'-got-nothin'-on-me hit.

PAlex,

You know as well as I do that Moore's a rook trying to make a name for himself. But at the same time, he's trying to stay in the NHL. He's not a vastly talented player, and it's apparent his role in the NHL will be as a checking-line center. What did you want him to do as Nazzy was reaching for the puck? Should Moore have avoided contact all together? Not finishing your checks, whether it's on the best player in the game or against a 4th line plumber, gets you sent to the minors faster than you can say dangle. It just so happened to have been against arguably the best player in the world (I say arguably because I feel Forsberg is better).

[PAlexC]

Forsberg would school Nazzy in pond hockey, he's got way more grit. Call it a clean hit if you will, the league did. But he was going for the elbow. A good clean hard open-ice hit isn't anything new. This was cheap.