As wild as 2004 may have been for Todd
Bertuzzi, 2005 also saw the Sudbury native's bearded mug
plastered in sports sections and television broadcasts across
the country.
Although the Sudbury native would undoubtedly
rather be known as one of the premier power forwards in the
NHL, Bertuzzi will forever be known as the Vancouver Canucks'
goon who broke the neck of Steve Moore of the Colorado
Avalanche on March 8, 2004. Despite the 27-year-old's
courageous recovery, Moore's future in the NHL is up in the
air.
In the early part of 2005, there was much
debate and speculation as to not only the legal ramifications
of his attack on Moore, but also the civil restitution Moore
was seeking.
Despite the fact that the hit took place in
Vancouver, and the fact that he is a Canadian citizen, Moore
filed his lawsuit against Bertuzzi in the state of
Colorado.
In October, a Colorado judge ruled that the
case had no standing in Colorado, suggesting Moore head
north.
According to
ESPN.com
, Bertuzzi and other defendants named in the lawsuit are now
seeking more than $160,000 in attorney's fees from Moore.
The NHL reinstated Bertuzzi in August after
being indefinitely suspended, missing 13 regular season games
and the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. He lost about $502,000 in
salary and is due to earn about $5.2 million this season.
Even the announcement of Wayne Gretzky as the
new head coach of the Pheonix Coyotes' couldn't knock Bertuzzi
off the front page.
Shortly after his reinstatement, Bertuzzi
began sharing headlines with the Great One at Team Canada's
Olympic Orientation Camp where Bertuzzi's play was turning
heads.
"I wish he could be playing in Colorado with
me,'' said Avalanche forward Alex Tanguay in an Associated
Press article. "He has such a big presence. He can hold onto
the puck and slow down the game to his pace. With his size and
strength he can play a little bit different game than anybody
else."
Controversy flared yet again when Gretzky,
executive director of the men's Olympic team, stated Bertuzzi
would almost certainly be named to the team.
Last week, when Team Canada officially
announced its roster, it was revealed that Bertuzzi would
indeed don the red and white.
Despite the headlines, the accusations and a
slow start to the hockey season, Bertuzzi has returned to form
in the NHL, scoring 12 goals and 34 points in 36 games. He also
hasn't backed away from his physical game, amassing 66 penalty
minutes in that time.
-Jason Thompson
