Bert and earnest

In the words of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman:

"It is my belief that Mr. Bertuzzi has paid a very significant price for his conduct on March 8, 2004, and that he should be reinstated immediately so that he is eligible to play as of the commencement of the 2005-06 NHL season."

Quickly overshadowing the news that Wayne Gretzky was stepping behind the bench in Phoenix (Coyotes players can't wait to play under the Great One - registration required), the NHL reinstated Vancouver winger Todd Bertuzzi, suspended from the league for some 17 months, which ammounted to 20 games (including seven playoff) and $501,926 in wages for attacking Colorado's Steve Moore.

Bertuzzi is due to make more than $5.27 million this season with the Canucks and is expected to be ready to hit the ice for Team Canada's Olympic training camp next week. The Canucks are eager to unite Bertuzzi with Marcus Naslund and Brendan Morrison. Moore, without an NHL contract, wouldn't comment.

Do you think Bertuzzi paid his debt? Should he be back in the NHL come October? What if Bertuzzi scores the winning goal in the gold medal game at the next Olympics? Send us your opinion.

Meanwhile, the free agent market has slowed (a little), and the Leafs look stronger up the middle, as long as Jason Allison's neck holds up. And speaking of Team Canada gamers, would Anson Carter look good wearing the other Maple Leaf?

Toronto radio station Fan 590 is reporting this morning that Eric Lindros and the Leafs have agreed to a one-year contract, but are still haggling over terms. Let's see, Sundin at 6-foot-5, Allison is 6-3, Lindros 6-5 ... a bit o' size up the middle. A deal with Lindros could be struck today. Stay tuned.

Geezer report: According to his agent, Alexander Mogilny wants to play in Toronto (reg. req'd) and would take quite the pay cut to come back. But the Leafs apparently think the 36-year-old winger is too old.

The NHL's return to life looks to be getting a $100 million boost with a two-year cable TV deal (reg. req'd).

Comments

[Nicole]

I'm extremely disappointed by the decision made by Gary Bettman. Who cares how much money Bertuzzi lost? I should feel sorry for him? His actions have resulted in another player being unable to return to the game. His punishment should reflect that. To me, it is a dark day in hockey and for all this talk about "cracking down" definately a step in the wrong direction.

[Rob Wiebe]

Bettman made this unfortunate decision to kiss up to the players.

Bertuzzi has not paid his debt and should not be back in the NEW NHL until Steve Moore plays at least one game.

[Tim]

I believe Bertuzzi is truely remorseful. But I also think they should garnish his wages for Moore's wages, not like he made all that much (compared to Bertuzzi).

As for the Leafs, Id rather see Mogilny back in the blue and white..then Mr Concussion himself.

[Curt]

If the players had any respect for one another, and some honor, like they did in the 60's and 70's, we wouldn't have seen an incident like this. They'd police themselves. Also, you wouldn't have shaddy fringe players like Steve Moore on the ice at any time. Bertuzzi was sticking up for a teamate, and Moore skated away. You can't cheap shot a skilled player and not pay the price. It's just unfortunate that he ended up so hurt.

[Ken66]

Ferguson must be the laziest or more unimaginative/uninnovative Leafs GM ever. All he can do is try to sign players from Toronto and many of these guys are either past their prime or have injury problems. (Allison, Domi, Lindros, plus he TRIED to sign Roberts and Nieuwendyk). To me, he is signing players based on geographical or fan appeal and not getting the best players possible and that is why we will never win a cup. To me they only care about players that can either hit or fight but can't do the essentials of hockey like skating, scoring and passing.

If Leafs claim that Mogilny is too old and has injury problems that is the most hypocritical comment I have read:
You want old? How about Belfour, Nieuwendyk, Roberts, Domi
You want injury proned? How about Allison, Lindros.
btw: Mogilny is 36, Domi is 35
Who do you think will put more goals in the net?

[pabs]

Mr Ferguson please wake up and smell the coffee all of the good free agents are gone and I know it was hard to watch them roll on by you but when you have a player like mogilney say he is willing to take a pay cut to play in toronto jump on it you did with Clark and Gilmore. I think Mogilney is great and will add the speed back in the lineup. sure he has had injury but so have most of your other players. Take Gilmore for instant played how many minutes before someone hit his knee and he was gone.Get the ball going not much time left before someone else takes him and he shows them how he can put pucks in your net......

[Chris Myers]

I was a huge NFL fan; since the second "work stoppage" in the eighties I haven't watched one down of NFL football. I was a huge MLB fan; since the last work stoppage I haven't watched one pitch. But hockey - hockey means too much to me, and I forgave them in 1995, and I was ready for hockey to start again, forgiving all. But now, Gary Bettman has decided that Todd Bertuzzi missing 13 regular season games and one playoff round is sufficient punishment for willfully and intentionally breaking another player's neck, ending his career. It is because I love hockey that I have watched an NHL puck be dropped for the last time.

[Chris Shepherd]

I'm very certain the the outcome of civil suits will take care of Steve Moore being looked after. Yeah, it should never have happened, but I don't think saying that has really much bearing on reality. The reality is, whatever his motivations, Bertuzzi TRIED to hurt another hockey player. It was no accident.

I agree the crackdown was a joke, and honestly, I don't think Bertuzzi should be playing hockey anymore -- not for Team Canada, and not for any team in the NHL or IIHF.

[Paul]

I agree with Ken66. If the miracle on ice that is Tie Domi is young and talented enough to be a part of JFJ's vision of the Leafs, then so too is Alexander Mogilny.

AlMo will put the puck in the net while Domi will, er, take a penalty?

It's left me wondering which geriatric case JFJ will ink next? Johnny Bower? Darryl Sittler? Maybe JFJ should take a cue from Pat Quinn and trade for a retired guy and talk him into playing a handful of games for millions of dollars (hello Robert Svehla).

[CO2]

This is not justice... but then I would expect nothing else from the little man.

[Pete Stamcos]

Moore should've expected Bertuzzi to come at him. You can't take a cheap shot at the best player in the (Naslund) and not expect some retribution. It's unfortunate what happened to Moore, but what if Naslund sustained the same injury? Moore is a cheap shot artist and if you're gonna live by the sword.....

[J.Canuck]

You Leafs fans make me sick. Bertuzzi has paid for his actions and most importantly knows what he did and the consequences of them. He is not a goon as the Toronto media would like to portray him - he plays with a lot of intensity and grit. However - given the chance to trade him to your lowly leafs all the media in T.O. and people commenting on this board would be singing a different tune.

[c stanley]

BERTUZZI IS A COWARD WHO WONT DROP THE GLOVES LIKE A REAL MAN

[J. Mormul]

Bertuzzi`s reinstatement is a joke.He should be made to sit as long as Moore. If Moore can no longer play,so long Bertuzzi, you goon

[pabs]

Okay all the hockey fans let look back a few years ago with Marty Mcsorley and Brasher (the basher). Marty gets a little annoyed with Brashere (the basher) and hits him in head with stick, bad sight to see down goes brashere never to play hockey again career gone. Mcsorley punished and criminally charged, kicked out of NHL for his misconduct and intent to hurt a player. Wow not to long after guess who is back but the dirtest player in the NHL today (the basher. I think that the hit was wrong by Bertuzzi but come on lets be honest do we end his career and see Steve Moore come back and play hockey again.

[Carl]

Curt: IIRC,Moore already answered the bell for his actions against Naslund when he was one of the parties in a fight earlier on in that game. Sorry,but he followed the code. What Bertuzzi did was,and still IS,inexcusable. Let's see....clocking someone upside the head and basically driving him into the ice is sticking up for your teammates. Brilliant reasoning.

[Saheed Abdool]

I agree with Curt when he stated that Ferguson signed Domi and he doesn't want to sign Mogilny. I honestly think that Mogilny was the only leaf player in the 2003-2004 season who generated the most offence. He has great hands and he can hit corners effortlessly. SIGN HIM! We need some extra offence. If we only get Lindros, Carter and Mogilny and stay under the salary cap, I believe we really would've gotten our money's worth.

As for the Bertuzzi incident. I believe he deserves a second chance. What some people fail to understand is that the more intense a game gets, the more out of hand a individual's actions are to become. A lot of people has said and done things in "the heat of the moment" that they greatly regret later on. Bertuzzi obviously regretted it as shown in the press conferences. He's a great hockey player, everyone deserves a second chance, I am happy he can now PLAY.

[Madison]

I am very disappointed with Gary Bettman, along with so many other people that I have read about or talked to about the issue. I understand the fact that Bertuzzi may 'feel regret' for what he did, and that's fantastic. But the point is, is that he still did it, and Moore is still recouperating from an injury that may ruin the rest of his NHL career. I feel that the 13 games that Bertuzzi was suspended is not nearly enough punishment. If you ask me, and it appears that quite a few agree with this point, Bertuzzi should be suspended from NHL indefinately until Moore is back to his normal health. Not necessarily playing an NHL game again, because that in itself could take quite a bit longer, but until his health is back and he has the abilities that he once had, Bertuzzi should be disallowed from playing hockey in the professional level. The National Hockey Association has to make it known to players that issues like this will not be tolerated. 13 games suspension, a tiny loss of money (which he is making up for plus a few million on top of that) and 80hrs community service does not rectify his actions. He needs to suffer the consequences of his actions and I do not feel that by letting him play once again in the NHL before Moore is recovered is a fair and honourable decision on Gary Bettman's part.

[Martin]

If Bertuzzi was metering out "eye for an eye" justice it must be asked, "Why is he playing before Steve Moore is back?" Wouldn't that be the continuation of the eye for an eye justice system?