e2hockey

The Minnesota Wild is a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota. They began play in the 2000-01 NHL season.

Intense lobbying by fans of the departed Minnesota North Stars franchise brought this team into existence in the late 1990s, and the team was ready to play by the 2000-01 season. Like their predecessors, who ceased operations after the 1991-92 season and merged with the San Jose Sharks, the Wild wear a green and white uniform, accentuated with red instead of the yellow that the North Stars had used on their uniforms. The team logo is the head of a wildcat, in what appears to be a posture of attack. It's the dominant green and red thing on the front of Wild home and away jerseys, and is very similar to the Nashville Predators' logo.

The Wild play at the relatively new Excel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. Though their first two full seasons ended with the team in the cellar of their division, they had a surprising 2002-03 season, finishing second in their division and seventh overall in their conference, just behind the Colorado Avalanche, who would go on to be their first round playoff opponents. Their division usually fluctuates wildly from season to season, and also consists of the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks.

Since its inception, the team hasn't had a permanent captain. Instead, a rotating captaincy has been instituted; every month a different player wears the C on his jersey. As far as I know, this is unique among NHL teams.

Also in the 2003 playoffs, the Wild became the first NHL team ever to win the first two rounds of the playoffs after allowing the opposition to gain a 3-1 series lead in both the quarterfinals (against Colorado) and the semifinals (against Vancouver). They went on to get swept by the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference finals (a series in which they were shut out in three out of four games; they scored only a single goal in that series thanks largely to the skill of Jean-Sebastian Giguere).

The Wild's game 7 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in the 2002-03 quarterfinals was legendary goaltender Patrick Roy's final NHL game before his retirement.

The Wild's longest-serving head coach thus far has been Jacques Lemaire, a former New Jersey Devils head coach (and 1995-96 Stanley Cup winner). He and the team's general manager, Doug Risebrough, worked together over the past couple of losing seasons to build the team into a Western Conference power, and by the looks of the 2002-03 season, they had succeeded. However, 2002-03 turned out to be a fluke, as the Wild finished last in their suddenly strong division and failed to make the playoffs in 2003-04. However, they did finish with a winning percentage of over .500 for the second straight season. No small feat for a relatively new team. Post-lockout, the team didn't fare in the 2005-06 season as well as expected; they finished dead last in in the Northwest Division, eight points behind the fourth place Vancouver Canucks (who also failed to make the playoffs in 2005-06). Both Lemaire and Risebrough retired following the 2008-09 season. Lemaire was replaced by former San Jose Sharks assistant coach Todd Richards whle Risebrough was replaced by Chuck Fletcher, lately of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As a testament to the Wild's excellent defense, they allowed a league-best 191 goals during the 2006-07 regular season, six less than the Dallas Stars' next best total of 197. There were only four teams total that managed to stay under the 200-goals against mark, and all of them were in the Western Conference (Detroit, Minnesota, San Jose and Dallas).

The 2007-08 season was the team's best finish yet; they finished first in the Northwest Division and third in the Western Conference with 98 points, drawing the Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, they lost that series. The team's biggest highlight that season was probably Marián Gáborík's 5-goal performance against the New York Rangers on December 20.

The following season, 2008-09, they played a tight game all season and won 40 games, but failed to secure a playoff spot.

Team colors: Forest green (primary: home jersey), white (primary: away jersey), black (trim), and crimson (features).

Retired numbers:

#1  - "For Wild Fans"
#99 - Wayne Gretzky (league-wide retirement)

Steve Yzerman played center for, and spent 20 consecutive seasons out of 22 total (1986-2006) as captain of the Detroit Red Wings. He was born on May 9, 1965, in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and he grew up in Napean, Ontario, which is a suburb of Ottawa.

After playing his junior hockey with the Peterborough Petes, he was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings with the fourth overall pick in the 1983 amateur draft. He jumped right to the NHL at the age of 18.

He quickly impressed fans and coaches alike, with his graceful skating and offensive touch. He became the youngest player selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game, at the age of 18, during his rookie year (1983-84). At 21 he became captain of the Red Wings, and is the longest-serving captain in NHL history and in sports history.

As his career progressed, he amassed large point totals each year, but his teams kept falling short of the Stanley Cup. People around the league began to question his leadership qualities, saying he was too much of a one way player, and couldn't play defense. That all began to change in 1993.

In 1993 the Red Wings hired legendary Hall-of-Famer coach Scotty Bowman. Bowman wanted to install a defense-first system, and many thought Yzerman would not mesh well with that type of coach. There were many trade rumors floating around. The biggest rumor had the Red Wings shipping Yzerman to Ottawa. Yzerman quickly reinvented his game, to become one of the best two way players in the game, even winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward for the 1999-2000 season. Also, he was one of the best captains any NHL team has ever seen, leading the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002).

Steve Yzerman entered the 2005-06 season, sixth on the all time scoring list, with 1,755 points. He's also one of only three players to score more than 150 points in a single season—155 in 1988-89—joining Hall of Famers Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to accomplish that particular feat. He was a member of the 1984 all NHL team, won the 1989 Lester B. Pearson Award (the trophy for the NHLPA-voted most valuable player), and the 1998 Conn Smythe Memorial Trophy, which is awarded the best performer of each year's playoffs. And he has his named engraved on the Stanley Cup four times (three as a player and one as an executive), for winning in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. He is also one of only twelve players to have scored 600 or more goals in his career. He represented Team Canada in the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics, winning the gold medal in 2002. He also won a silver medal for Team Canada in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, the 1985 and 1989 World Championships. In 1984, Yzerman won a gold medal at the World Championship. In 1983, he also won a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship. He missed most of the 2002-03 season recovering from knee realignment surgery (which is normally performed on elderly people), and then was knocked out of the 2003-04 playoffs by an errant shot to the eye, leaving him with a scratched cornea and a broken orbital bone. Luckily, he recovered completely during the 2004 NHL player lockout, and signed a one-year contract with the Wings prior to the 2005-06 season, and made his 22nd season in the NHL official on opening night of that season. He returned to the lineup sporting a visor on his helmet due to his eye injury from the previous postseason. In 2006, as Team Canada prepared for the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, the team retired Yzerman's #19, making him the first player to be so honored by a national team.

Steve Yzerman retired on July 3, 2006, after 22 years in the NHL, all spent with the Red Wings. Yzerman's #19 jersey, complete with the captain's C, was immortalized with a banner hanging from the Joe Louis Arena rafters when the Red Wings retired his number on January 2, 2007. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, his first year of eligibility.

Team Canada CEO Wayne Gretzky announced in January 2007 that Yzerman was to become its new general manager, and the Red Wings elevated him to a vice president position within the organization in September 2006. In 2010, Yzerman accepted an offer to become the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, leaving the Red Wings after 27 years.

Awards:

• 1988-89 Lester B. Pearson Award
• 1997-98 Conn Smythe Memorial Trophy
• 1999-00 Frank J. Selke Trophy
• 2002-03 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
• 2005-06 Lester Patrick Trophy
• 1983-84, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1996-97, 1998-99, and 1999-2000 NHL All-Star

Yzerman finished in the top 10 all-time in many NHL statistical records:

• Games: 1514 (11th)
• Goals: 692 (8th)
• Assists: 1063 (7th)
• Points: 1755 (6th)
• Points per game: 1.16 (15th)
• Goals created: 664.6 (5th)
• Shots on goal: 4602 (8th)
• Shorthanded goals: 50 (3rd)

Sources:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/y/yzermst01.html

Edmonton's NHL team. The Oilers started life in the World Hockey Association in 1972/73, and moved into the NHL in 1979. It was here that Wayne Gretzky played his greatest games. Other famous Oilers were Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr and Mark Messier. As a small-market Canadian team, they struggle to remain competitive in the modern era. Arch-rivals of the Calgary Flames.

Winners of the Stanley Cup in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990. Also won the Presidents' Trophy for the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons. If you're wondering about 1986, the Oilers were eliminated by the Calgary Flames that year. In a 2-2 tie in game seven, Oilers rookie defenceman Steve Smith tried to clear the puck, but instead banked it off goalie Grant Fuhr's left leg and into the Edmonton net. The Oilers lost 3-2. For years afterward, Flames fans would yell "Shoot!" whenever Smith had the puck behind his own net.

After the 2004 NHL player lockout, the Oilers struggled in the 2005/2006 season. Despite the big-name signing of defenceman Chris Pronger, the Oilers were plagued by inconsistent goaltending. At the trade deadline the Oilers picked up forward Sergei Samsonov from the hapless Boston Bruins and goaltender Dwayne Roloson from the Minnesota Wild. Pundits sneered that Roloson wasn't much of an upgrade, and indeed Dwayne struggled in his first few games with Edmonton. Yet the Oilers made a late charge. They finished the regular season eighth in the west, sneaking into the playoffs with 95 points. This earned them a first-round dance with the President's Trophy winners, the Detroit Red Wings. Statistically superior in almost every category, the Wings seemed poised for a quick sweep. Red Wings fans confidently booked their second-round playoff tickets. But the Oilers outworked and out-hustled the Red Wings and Roloson played well. The Oilers took the series in 6 games, confounding experts and macaques alike. In fact, all 4 top seeds in the Western Conference lost their first-round series, setting the Oilers up with the San Jose Sharks in round two. The Oil dropped games 1 and 2 in San Jose, but recovered to take the next 4 straight. Chris Pronger shut down Sharks star Joe Thornton, and Roloson outplayed opposite number Vesa Toskala, turning in a 2-0 shutout in clinching game 6. The Oilers moved on to play the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Western conference finals, taking games 1 and 2 in Anaheim via identical 3-1 scores.

The Oilers fans showed their class in game 6 of the San Jose series. After Sharks fans had booed the Canadian national anthem before game 5, Edmonton fans responded by lustily cheering the US anthem prior to game 6.

Team colours : Midnight blue, copper, red, and white (originally blue, orange, and white)

Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame who wore Oilers uniforms include Glenn Anderson, Grant Fuhr, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier and Adam Oates ... and surprisingly also Jacques Plante and Norm Ullman, both of whom finished their careers with the Oilers in the WHA.

Retired Numbers:

• #3 Al Hamilton
• #7 Paul Coffey
• #9 Glenn Anderson
• #11 Mark Messier
• #17 Jari Kurri
• #31 Grant Fuhr
• #99 Wayne Gretzky (league-wide retirement, though Gretzky spent the first half of his career playing for the Oilers)

The Honourable Joseph-Henri-Maurice "Rocket" Richard, P.C., C.C., O.Q.

Saint Richard. Hockey Legend. Hero to a Generation. 1921 - 2000

Maurice Richard :

when he shoots, North America roars,
when he scores, the deaf can hear the cheers,
when they send him to the penalty box, the switchboards light up,
when he passes, the new guys dream.
He's the wind on skates,
he's all of Quebec on its feet.
He scares the rest - he's life in action."

- Félix Leclerc

The Legend

Rocket Richard was a professional hockey player who spent his career as a right winger with the Montreal Canadiens, from 1942 to 1960, during what can easily be argued is their glory years. The Rocket was the best goal scorer of his era, being the first NHL player to have ever scored 50 goals in a single season, as well as the first (and still only one of 5 people) who were able to score 50 goals in 50 games. While he played with the Canadiens, they won 8 Stanley Cups, including five straight cups (1956-1960) while he lead the team as captain. He was the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy for regular season league MVP, in 1947, and a decade later won the Lou Marsh trophy for Canada's top athlete.

He was seen by the people, especially in Quebec, as one of them. A hard working man, dedicated to his family, who went out every night to give his all. He played with passion ... at times with too much passion, often spending time in the penalty box. He was the focus of a recent film, Maurice Richard, profiling the player and his life. As well, one of the most well known Canadian children's tales, The Hockey Sweater, is about the trials of a young Quebec boy who orders a jersey with Richard's #9, and instead receives a jersey from the hated Toronto Maple Leafs.

He carried the flag for an entire population - and that's pretty heavy. He felt he had to live up to that responsibility and he did it the way he knew how - by scoring goals and responding to every challenge on the ice.

- Red Fisher, Montreal Gazette

The Man

Born August 4, 1921 in Verdun, Quebec, it was always Richard's dream to play for his beloved Canadiens. He played for the Paquettes, in the Parc Lafontaine League, from 1937 to 1939. During that time, he scored a full 133 of the 145 goals scored by the Paquettes. The next two years saw him playing for the Verdum Leafs and the Canadian Seniors. During this time he was also studying machinery at l'École Technique de Montréal.

While playing junior hockey, he was plagued by a string of injuries that quite often prevented him from playing. As well, the Canadian Army deemed his injuries serious enough to prevent him from being able to effectively serve in World War II, despite three attempts by Richard to enroll during the conflict.

Despite all this, 1942 was a good year for Maurice Richard. This was the year that he married his sweetheart, Lucille Norchet. They remained married until her death in 1994. And also, his boyhood dream was realized when he was recruited by the Montreal Canadiens. This season did not last him long, ending after he broke an ankle after only 16 games. The next season, however, he kicked it into gear, scoring 32 goals and helping the Canadiens win his first Stanley Cup. The year after that saw him set the standard for goal scoring, with 50 goals in the first 50 games of the season. During the off-season, we also saw the end of World War II, and the return to the NHL of many players who had been off fighting in Europe and the Pacific. Richard would never see another 50 game season again.

1949 saw the birth of Lucille and Maurice's first daughter, Huguette. Maurice, who was previously playing as # 15, was so proud of the birth of his little 9 pound girl that he got the coach to change his jersey number to 9, which he wore the rest of his career, and was later retired by the Canadiens. Maurice and Lucille went on to have 6 other children.

The Rocket continued playing hockey in his own rough and tumble style, gaining legions of fans, scoring a whole lot of goals, and incurring a whole lot of penalties. It was a common strategy for players on the opposing team to go out of their way to piss him off, throwing him off his game and possibly landing him in the penalty box. Even if they got hit with a penalty as well, it was deemed to be a fair trade. This eventually led to one of the ugliest incidents in hockey history, the Rocket Richard Riots. In a game against the Bruins on March 13, 1955, Richard was kicked out of the game for trying to deliberately injure one of Boston's players, in the process hitting a linesman who was trying to hold him back. Due to the fact that this was the second time that season that the Rocket assaulted an official, there was an inquiry, at which the president of the NHL, Clarence Campbell, suspended Richard for the rest of the season. Needless to say, Montreal fans weren't exactly all that pleased with this decision. Further making things worse, Campbell decided to attend the next Canadiens home game, versus the Detroit Red Wings. But the fans weren't all that interested in watching the game. Instead they spent much of the game booing Campbell, and pelting him with eggs and vegetables. Eventually someone set off a tear gas bomb outside the Forum, and it was decided that enough was enough. The Canadiens forfeited the game to the Red Wings (They had been down 4-1 at this point), and the Forum was cleared of fans. The crowd turned even more unruly, damaging several offices in the Forum, and continuing the riot into the streets. The Montreal police had to arrest people by the truckload, as the riot continued past 3 AM, and in all caused over $500,000 worth of damage.

Needless to say, the Rocket was aghast at this behaviour. The next day he had this to say, trying to calm the people of Montreal:

Because I always try so hard to win and had my troubles in Boston, I was suspended. At playoff time it hurts not be in the game with the boys. However, I want to do what is good for the people of Montreal and the team. So that no further harm will be done, I would like to ask everyone to get behind the team and to help the boys win from the New York Rangers and Detroit. I will take my punishment and come back next year to help the club and the younger players to win the Cup.

As for church, we found there the quiet of God: there we forgot school and dreamed about the next hockey game. Through our daydreams, we would ask God to help us play as well as Maurice Richard.

We all wore the same uniform as he, with the famous number 9 on our backs, the red, white, and blue uniform of the Montreal Canadiens, the best hockey team in the world; we all combed our hair in the same style as Maurice Richard, and to keep it in place we used a sort of glue, a great deal of glue. We laced our skates like Maurice Richard, we taped our sticks like Maurice Richard. We cut all his pictures out of the papers. Truly, we knew everything about him.

- Roch Carrier, The Hockey Sweater

Rocket Richard's 18 year hockey career came to an end in 1960, after winning 8 Stanley cups (4th most of any NHL player), having played in every NHL All-Star Game since 1944, scoring 544 goals and getting 965 points (the first player to get more than 500 career goals), and leading the league in goals scored 5 times. He still ranks 21st in all time goals, and 73th in points scored. When he left the Habs, he did not leave them without a Richard, as his brother Henri, 15 years his junior, had joined the team in 1955. Henri went on to win 11 Stanley Cups with the team.

In his retirement, Richard spent most of his time with his family, and also spent time travelling the country promoting the game to young Canadians. For the rest of his life, Richard continued to be laden with praise. His jersey number was retired less than a month after he announced his retirement, and in 1961 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. There is usually a 3 year waiting period after someone retires before this can happen, but this was waived for him. In 1967 he was one of the first people to become an officer of the newly created Order of Canada. This is the 2nd highest honour which can be bestowed upon a civilian in Canada. The highest is being made a Companion of the Order of Canada, to which he was promoted to in 1998.

In 1992, for the country's 125th anniversary, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney appointed 18 prominent Canadians to the Privy Council, including Rocket Richard. This was a somewhat controversial move, as the privy council usually consists only of people closely associated with government, such as former Governor-Generals, cabinet ministers, Speakers of the House, and Chief Justices. It was then that he received the prefix "The Honourable" to his name.

The Rocket was present for the last Habs game in the Montreal Forum, before the opening of the new Molson Centre in 1996. The humble man was the recipient of the longest standing ovation in the city's history, breaking down in tears at this display of devotion to the man who inspired millions. Later, the Montreal Canadians donated the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 1999 to the NHL, which is awarded annually to the regular season goal scoring leader.

When he was in his 70's, Maurice Richard fought a battle against Parkinson's Disease and abdominal cancer, finally succumbing to the cancer at the age of 78, on May 27, 2000.

Maurice Richard both defined and transcended the game of hockey. He set standards for scoring which, to this day, are the benchmarks for excellence and stardom in the NHL. But what truly set him apart - what made him a special hero to the fans - was his extraordinary intensity. He played with great emotion and flair and possessed an unmatched will to win. His dazzling combination of skill and drive not only made him one of the greatest hockey players ever, it also made him a symbol to all of what it takes to be a true champion.

"The Rocket" enriched the lives of everyone who had the privilege and pleasure of watching him in action and who, today, are flooded with memories of his incredible exploits.

-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien

Stats: 
Year    Team                 GP   G   A   Pts   Pim
1942-43 Montreal Canadiens   16   5   6    11     4 
1943-44 Montreal Canadiens   46  32  22    54    45
1944-45 Montreal Canadiens   50  50  23    73    46
1945-46 Montreal Canadiens   50  27  21    48    50
1946-47 Montreal Canadiens   60  45  26    71    69
1947-48 Montreal Canadiens   53  28  25    53    89
1948-49 Montreal Canadiens   59  20  18    38   110
1949-50 Montreal Canadiens   70  43  22    65   114
1950-51 Montreal Canadiens   65  42  24    66    97 
1951-52 Montreal Canadiens   48  27  17    44    44 
1952-53 Montreal Canadiens   70  28  33    61   112
1953-54 Montreal Canadiens   70  37  30    67   112
1954-55 Montreal Canadiens   67  38  36    74   125
1955-56 Montreal Canadiens   70  38  33    71    89 
1956-57 Montreal Canadiens   63  33  29    62    74 
1957-58 Montreal Canadiens   28  15  19    34    28 
1958-59 Montreal Canadiens   42  17  21    38    27 
1959-60 Montreal Canadiens   51  19  16    35    50  
NHL Totals                  978 544  421  965  1285

Harold Rogers - #22 << Greatest Canadian Number #23 >> General Sir Arthur Currie #24

Sources:
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. "Maurice 'Rocket' Richard," People - CBC Archives. 2005. <archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-74-85/people/rocket_richard> (February 18, 2006).
Government of Canada Privy Council Office. "Statement by the Prime Minister (Maurice "The Rocket" Richard)," Former Prime Minister's Archive. May 27, 2000. <www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/default.asp?Language=E&Page=pmarchive&Sub=NewsReleases&Doc=richard.20000527_e.htm> (February 18, 2006).
Canadian Museum of Civilization. "Media - Maurice "Rocket" Richard Biography," Civilization.ca December 10, 2002. <www.civilization.ca/media/docs/fsric01e.html> (February 18, 2006).
Wikipedia. "Maurice Richard," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 18 February 2006. <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Richard> (February 18, 2006).
Édimage Plus. "Maurice Richard," THE GREAT NAMES OF THE FRENCH CANADIAN COMMUNITY. <edimage.ca/edimage/grandspersonnages/en/carte_r05.html> (February 18, 2006).
Hockey Fans.com. "Maurice Richard Biography, pictures, and stats," Hockey Fans. 2005. <www.hockey-fans.com/players/richard.php> (February 18, 2006).

On Monday March 8, 2004, the Colorado Avalanche and the Vancouver Canucks faced off for the last time of the 2003-2004 season. The game was significant because in a previous game played on February 16, 2004, rookie Avalanche player Steve Moore laid an open ice hit on Canucks star Markus Naslund. Naslund was injured and missed the next few games, but Moore was not penalized.

Canucks Head Coach Marc Crawford on Steve Moore's hit:

“It just mystifies me that this happens in this League. They talk about players not having respect for players. Do they not have respect for the leading scorer in the league? When does that come? When does that come? It could have been an obstruction call, it could have been an elbowing call. It could have been anything. Instead, they call absolutely nothing. I have no idea. It was hard-fought game, nobody is talking about that but that was a cheap shot by a young kid on a captain, the leading scorer in the League and we get no call. We get no call. That is ridiculous. How does that happen? That’s got to be answered. Why is there no respect from those referees for the leading scorer in the League. I do not understand that for the life of me. I don’t care if they fine me, I really don’t. That needs to be answered.”

The Canucks vowed revenge for the hit. Brad May, a Canuck, went so far as to place a bounty on Moore's head. The next game between the two teams, played at the Pepsi Center in Denver, was attended by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman just to make sure no funny business happened. Vancouver kept their hands off of the Avs and the two teams skated to a 5-5 tie.

The next game in the Colorado/Vancouver series, played at the GM Place was entirely different. The feelings on the ice were more aggressive. Not only would the game determine the Northwest division leader, but the bounty on Moore's head still stood.

After two fights to start of the game (Moore vs. Cooke and May vs. Worrell), Milan Hejduk started of the scoring at 6:54 in the first period. Then the Avalanche solidified their lead with three goals in 51 seconds, a franchise record (starting at 14:40 in the first by Steve Konowalchuk). Brad May, the goon for Vancouver scored the only two goals for his team. After each goal, May made his way back into the goal crease to shove and taunt Avalanche goalie David Aebischer, for which he was given a ten-minute penalty for misconduct.

The Avalanche continued to score and the tension continued to build until the third period, when Todd Bertuzzi went after Steve Moore. Bertuzzi felt that even though Moore had fought with Cooke earlier in the game, he deserved something more. After shadowing the rookie, Bertuzzi came up from behind and grabbed Moore's jersey, pulled him in close and landed a roundhouse right on the side of Moore's head. The hit knocked him unconscious and he was defenseless as Bertuzzi drove his head into the ice. A pileup of players landed on top of the two. Vancouver goaltender Johan Hedberg challenged David Aebischer, and various other scraps were started. Steve Moore lay in a pool of blood for several minutes before being carried off in a stretcher by medics.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Tony Granato was visibly upset. Backup goaltender Philippe Sauve had to hold Granato back as he screamed over the glass at the Canuck bench. The Avs coach later explained that not only was he angry at the disgusting diplay on the ice, but also at Marc Crawford's smirk he wore on the bench throughout the incident.

Avalanche Defenseman Derek Morris on the Todd Bertuzzi hit:

"It was disgusting. I haven't seen anything like that in my seven years of playing hockey. This was premeditated; this was the worst thing I've seen."

Moore suffered fractures in his C3 and C4 vertebrae, a concussion, and deep cuts in his face. He did not have any spinal cord damage or paralyzation and was talking with teammates in the hospital after the game. Bertuzzi was assessed a match penalty for attempting to injure a player. He was automatically suspended pending a hearing, which was held on Wednesday March 10, 2004. During the hour-long hearing in Toronto, Bertuzzi and NHL vice president Colin Campbell discussed the hit and watched a video replay of it. The next day, Campbell ruled that Bertuzzi was to be suspended for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, and must ask for reinstatement at the beginning of the 2004-2005 season. The Vancouver Canucks were also fined $250,000 on top of the $500,000 of Bertuzzi's salary they were required to forfeit.

NHL vice president Colin Campbell:

"We dealt with Todd Bertuzzi like we would any other player in this situation. Because Todd Bertuzzi is the impact player he is, the ramifications and severity of this will definitely affect and hurt the Vancouver Canucks' chances of being successful in the playoffs."

Vancouver police are also investigating whether to pursue criminal charges on Bertuzzi for the hit. The whole situation has been compared to the incident involving Marty McSorley and then-Canuck Donald Brashear. McSorley smashed Brashear on the side of the head with his hockey stick, which gave him a concussion after he hit the ice without his helmet. McSorley was charged with assault with a weapon in a Vancouver court, receiving an 18-month conditional discharge. The incident ended McSorley's career after he was suspended for a year and never signed by another team.

Fans around Colorado and the NHL showed deep concern for the injured Moore and gave their support by emailing local newspapers and creating numerous get-well cards that were scattered around the city of Denver. A local television station's website set up a place for fans to include their words of encouragement for the injured Moore. Bertuzzi responded to the media with a tearful apology, but many found it hard to find sympathy for the Canuck.

Todd Bertuzzi's first comments to the media after the hit:

"This comment's for Steve: Steve I just want to apologize for what happened out there. But I had no intention of hurting you. And I feel awful for what transpired.

Steve’s family: Sorry that you had to go through this. And I’m sorry again, about what happened out there.

I’m relieved to hear that Steve’s gonna have a full recovery. It means a lot to me to hear that that’s gonna happen. I wanna apologize to Mr. Burke and Mr. McCaw, the Vancouver Canucks organization, and my teammates.

To the fans of hockey and the fans of Vancouver, for the kids who watch this game: I’m truly sorry. I don’t play the game that way, I’m not a mean-spirited person. And I’m sorry for what happened."

As a result of the incident, Bertuzzi was charged in British Columbia, Canada with assault. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to a year of probation and 80 hours of community service, but received a conditional discharge, leaving him without a criminal record. Bertuzzi was suspended from the NHL indefinitely, which included the remaining 13 regular season games and all playoffs of the 2003-2004 season. Bertuzzi was reinstated for the 2005-2006 season after being ineligible to play in Europe during the lockout. Steve Moore filed a civil lawsuit in a Denver court on February 15, 2005. Named in the suit were Bertuzzi, Brad May, Marc Crawford, former Canucks GM Brian Burke, Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, owner of the team. The lawsuit, which sought unspecified damages from the defendants, was thrown out when the judge handling the case cited that it had no bearing in Colorado.

http://www.coloradoavalanche.com
Fox Sports Net broadcast
http://www.nhl.com
http://www.9news.com
http://www.canucks.com
http://www.espn.com