Bertuzzi's Softer Side

(Editor's Note: Bumped to front page )

Sarah Casey shares a story with the Detroit News about Todd Bertuzzi. It seems that despite "the incident", and much to the surprise of most NHL fans, Bertuzzi is a pretty decent guy.

Huh. Go figure.

about 1 year ago Big Z in Orlando 27 comments 0 recs |

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Doesn’t change the fact that he ended another player’s career with one of the most, if not THE most, heinous on-ice attacks outside the bounds of normal game flow that the NHL has ever seen and should have been banned for life. So screw him.

We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.

by Bob in Boulder on Mar 8, 2011 1:11 PM CST reply actions

So how do you remain a fan of the NHL if it’s really them you’re mad at for allowing him to play again? Should Bertuzzi just have retired of his own volition?

It happened seven years ago. He’s completely changed the type of player he is. I don’t expect Colorado fans to forgive and forget (any more than you should expect that at any time I’m going to stop thinking Claude Lemieux is a dirty fuckface), but there are no new ideas out there between Wings fans and Avs fans. Perhaps it’s best for us to not discuss it.

by J.J. from Kansas on Mar 8, 2011 1:15 PM CST up reply actions

I remain a fan of the NHL because I love hockey. Period. But I am angry that the league is not serious about cleaning the game up. If they were, Bertuzzi would have been banned. As well as Cooke by now. Ott is borderline.

What Claude did to Draper wasn’t in any way close to what Bertuzzi did to Moore. Not saying it wasn’t worthy of a major and the two playoff games he missed, but it certainly wasn’t so far outside of the flow of the game, nor such a premeditated assault.

Big Bertha is about to finally face the music in civil court after all of this time. He has already tried to throw Crawford under the bus, it will be interesting to see who all is included in terms of culpability. I would absolutely love it if every dime he has made since the incident and every dime he makes from this point forward goes to Moore.

We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.

by Bob in Boulder on Mar 8, 2011 1:58 PM CST up reply actions

Based on my experiences watching Crawford and reading what a lot of people have to say about what kind of person he is, I’m not so sure that Bertuzzi “threw him under the bus” so much as he tried to drag Crawford below the wheels with him.

I wholeheartedly believe that Crawford put a “hit” out on Moore and that he is partially culpable in the tragedy that ensued.

As for the Lemieux/Bertuzzi comparison, I agree that what Claude did was technically part of hockey. Personally, I believe Claude is worse though because while Bertuzzi stepped so far out of the boundaries of hockey behavior in what he did, Bertuzzi has apologized for his actions, to the entirety of the hockey community and to his victim. Claude Lemieux has never once apologized to Draper for what he did and, even to this day when he’s asked about it, the only thing he says he’s sorry for is that he’s sorry for himself because people didn’t treat him fairly his whole career.

by J.J. from Kansas on Mar 8, 2011 2:21 PM CST up reply actions

I definitely believe that Crow played a huge hand in the hit. The game was way out of control (something like 8-1 Avs at the time), and he put out a lineup of guys who hadn’t played together all night (Bertuzzi, Ruutu, the other Pronger, I believe). Pronger stalked Moore at the other end of the ice on the same shift before Bertuzzi stalked him and eventually assaulted him. Then Crow couldn’t wipe the shit eating grin off of his face while Moore layed bleeding and motionless on the ice.

I think that Bertuzzi, Crawford, Burke, and Brad May should all be held accountable. But my guess is that the court will only be able to prove Bertuzzi’s culpability, and his effort to take Crawford down with him and ease some of the financial pain that will ensue won’t be rewarded.

So, nobody here finds it ironic that this story hits the press just after it is announced that the civil suit will go to trial? Sounds like more of a case of Bertuzzi having a good PR person than being a decent human being.

We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.

by Bob in Boulder on Mar 8, 2011 2:53 PM CST up reply actions

Timing or not, it’s a good story.

by J.J. from Kansas on Mar 8, 2011 3:51 PM CST up reply actions

It's a great story

For me to poop on!

We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.

by Bob in Boulder on Mar 8, 2011 4:13 PM CST up reply actions

And “poop on” it is exactly what you’ve done. Taking a story that is, timing aside, simply put forward as a feel good read regarding a guy with a defined career and turned the comment section into an outlet for your hate on for him. The obvious point of it was to illustrate his humanity seperate from his status as a player or the singular instance for which he’s seemingly known.
You won’t find anyone in the Wings faithful who will look to defend the actions of Bert that game, so why attempt to turn what should be the discussion of players showing continued class and decency, through troubled time or not, into a discussion that could (should?) be held in countless other places?

by WingnutNorthOfThe49 on Mar 8, 2011 5:03 PM CST up reply actions

In countless other places? Sorry, I thought this was a hockey blog. I’ll leave ~~Gandhi~~ errrrr …. Bertuzzi alone now. And sorry, but the timing has everything to do with this story, like it or not. Bert is just lucky he found his Dickie Dunn bs writer to exploit. I do believe that the Moore incident essentially neutered him on the ice. Off the ice? I could care less. There are a ton of great guys in hockey who never ended another guy’s career with a criminal assault. I’d rather focus on them.

We see a wonderful sun-soaked city nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Enos sees nickels and dimes.

by Bob in Boulder on Mar 8, 2011 5:14 PM CST up reply actions

There are a ton of great guys in hockey who never ended another guy’s career with a criminal assault. I’d rather focus on them.

Then feel free to shift your focus to them at any time.

by J.J. from Kansas on Mar 8, 2011 5:40 PM CST up reply actions

"I'd rather focus on them"

evidently not…

And as I type this, I look over to the links and, lo and behold, a story that actually takes a retrospective approach to what happened.

Think about how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of them are even stupider! --George Carlin

by J_Stone on Mar 8, 2011 5:42 PM CST up reply actions

A hockey blog (synonymous with trial now) and story both with guiding points. To come into a Red Wings (always synonymous with hockey) blog, red faced and biased against the guy without the moderate, level-headed, and attractive fans of the team he plays for now arguing the value of the story would be foolish. Rooting for the Avs foolish…and nobody wants to be accused of that.

There are plenty of places to talk ill of Bert, and when he’s playing poorly this is one of them. But generally speaking this is not the place, and this is certainly not the place to shift the focus on a nice story to something we’re already aware of.

-Mitch

by WingnutNorthOfThe49 on Mar 8, 2011 5:43 PM CST up reply actions

Seriously, dude

Get a life….

by bharatwaj5 on Mar 8, 2011 5:51 PM CST up reply actions

Just remember - Avs owe it all to the Wings!

the Colorado Avalanche owe both of their Cups to the Red Wings.

December 2, 1995 – the Red Wings lite up Waaahhhhh 10-0 in Montreal, and their new GM trades him to the former Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche.

Jocelyn Thibault – Stanley Cup winning goalie, I think not.

Avs owe everything to the Wings. Good thing we beat him a couple of times, he beat us too, but the last one….another drubbing 7-0, only this time the coach took him out of the game before the extra point.

just sayin…

by Kendal on Mar 8, 2011 5:58 PM CST up reply actions

But I am angry that the league is not serious about cleaning the game up. If they were, Bertuzzi would have been banned.

Well, he was for a season. And the whole next one (lockout) where he wasn’t able to play anywhere else.

And the game IS cleaner. He hasn’t been suspended since this incident. So by default, the game is cleaner because he is cleaner.

Dancing Datsyuk Decidedly Dazzles Dainty Defensemen

by Robocop on Mar 8, 2011 7:53 PM CST up reply actions

Doesn’t change your opinion. Clearly you aren’t sympathetic towards people who are may I say- heroes in the eyes of some. Why hate on him over a mistake?

by Sarah Casey on Mar 11, 2011 9:28 PM CST up reply actions

I'll go one better

I believe that hockey players are some of the most sincere and gracious sports personalities. I don’t know that the NHL teams mandate the personal appearances like NASCAR does – but if you look, there are stories everywhere about hockey players and the charitable organizations they support, the sick kids and hospitals they visit, and more.

The Avs do it just as the Wings do – and I would suspect that both teams are revered in their respective cities for doing so – win or lose.

Hockey players are real people, and they (at least) seem to be thankful for what they have and the $$ they make. Outside of a select few (Avery jumps to mind), they don’t seek out the major media attention and all the paparazzi hype, they do their job, they have fun doing it, and they get it – they’re nothing without the fans.

Todd Bertuzzi is a hockey player and a nice guy (who did a very bad thing once), he’s sorry for it (and will likely pay a very nice sum/penalty), he appreciates what he has – and from reading the story here, he has for quite some time.

Kendal

by Kendal on Mar 8, 2011 5:12 PM CST reply actions

Thank you, Much appreciated.

by Sarah Casey on Mar 11, 2011 2:33 AM CST up reply actions

As a Wing...

I didn’t know much about the 7-year ago Bertuzzi who was a Canuck. Heard a lot about him for 5+ years after he hit Moore and have to say that I was one of the not-to-thrilled Wings fans when Kenny signed him back on (barely remembered he’d been here before)…but in Kenny I trust.

Since he’s been back he has played every single game. He played game-after-game last season when we didn’t think another player could possibly get hurt. He played game-after-game this season when we thought “oh no, here we go again.” And, while he can never be the big-hitting power forward we want him to be, his teammates say he’s a great teammate…in them I trust.

Nothing, or no one, can undo what he did 7-years ago. He served the Canadian court’s and league’s punishments. The Canadian civil courts will decide what his monetary punishment is. He was a Canuck when it happened, not a Red Wing. I support what he has done as a Wing. He has reinvented himself into a dependable player who doesn’t screw up anymore than the rest of the guys. I don’t ever expect the Avs to forgive him anymore than Lemieux will ever be forgiven for driving Drape’s head into the boards.

I like how he has played and carried himself as a Wing these last 2 seasons and I happily say Go Big Bert!

by wingsluver4ever on Mar 8, 2011 6:58 PM CST reply actions

Thank you for this comment. Much respect!

by Sarah Casey on Mar 11, 2011 2:42 AM CST up reply actions

Amazing coincidence

7 years to the day Bertuzzi ended Moore’s career, you see Zdeno Chara intentionally try to behead a guy, possibly ending his career. (Same injuries as Moore, bad concussion and fractured vertebrae.)

Proud Colts fan boycotting StampedeBlue.com since 7/17/2010

by MrNFL on Mar 10, 2011 2:28 PM CST reply actions

You should probably stick to the NFL.

There was no hint of intent to injure in the Chara/Pascioretty play.

Intent to interfere? Yes. But not injure.

Dancing Datsyuk Decidedly Dazzles Dainty Defensemen

by Robocop on Mar 17, 2011 9:21 AM CDT up reply actions

Well, I ~~as the author of this piece~~ just wanted to let all of you haters out there know that I didn’t in fact write this to get criticism nor did I write it to change people’s perspective of a man. I solely wrote it because it is a story worth writing, it’s new, it’s interesting and whether you like it or not – it shows a person’s true behavior and opens your eyes to many of you who choose to not give someone a second chance. So I can let you comment all you want, but honestly, if you knew a kind man so well and he made such an important impact in your life- you wouldn’t hold a grudge.
Thank you.

by Sarah Casey on Mar 11, 2011 2:39 AM CST reply actions

Sarah,

Thanks so much for the article. (sorry about the automatic strikethrough there).

Some people are always going to hate Bertuzzi, no matter what evidence comes out that he doesn’t deserve their scorn. You do great work here covering something that the haters would rather not want to know.

by J.J. from Kansas on Mar 13, 2011 7:16 AM CST up reply actions

Thank you for this reply J.J from Kansas.
I’m happy to see not everyone out there hates him.

by Sarah Casey on Mar 13, 2011 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions

Hi Sarah -

Haters and gonna hate no matter what.

I sat next to some haters this weekend in St. Louis – suprisingly enough, the Bertuzzi comments were the mild ones, and they didn’t miss an opportunity to wax-poetic on Bert and Steve Moore. I won’t even tell you what the worst was – yes, it was that bad (not Bertuzzi). However, I find it very interesting that the only people who could have heard these jerk-offs were the fans in their immediate vicinity (two rows either up or down) – of course, most of whom were Wings fans. Makes you wonder what they’re like around their wives/gfs or other immediate family.

Conclusion – they were either drunk (check), stupid (check), and/or looking for a fight (maybe…but they weren’t worth getting thrown out for, so no).

Nice article, I enjoyed the read.

Kendal

by Kendal on Mar 14, 2011 3:45 PM CDT up reply actions