| Steve Moore | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 22, 1978 Thornhill, ON, CAN |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) |
| Position | Center |
| Shot | Right |
| Played for | Colorado Avalanche |
| NHL Draft | 53rd overall, 1998 Colorado Avalanche |
| Playing career | 2001–2004 |
Steven Dean Moore (born September 22, 1978) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey center, best known for receiving what turned out to be a career-ending injury as a result of an illegal hit (specifically, a punch to the head) by then Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi.
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Steven Dean Moore, his older brother, Mark, and younger brother, Dominic, all played four years at Harvard University. Because of their relative closeness in age, all three were able to play in the same year for Harvard during the 1999–2000 season. Dominic also went on to play in the NHL.
He was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft in the second round, being 53rd pick overall. Moore played in 69 games for the Avalanche from 2001 to 2004, scoring five goals and seven assists before being seriously injured by Todd Bertuzzi who at the time played for the Vancouver Canucks (see below).
Due to continued post-concussion syndrome, Colorado opted not to give him a qualifying offer after his rookie contract expired, and he has had minimal contact with the Avalanche ever since. Moore also turned down a two-way contract from the Anaheim Ducks.[1]
On February 16, 2004, during a Vancouver-Colorado game, Moore injured Canucks team captain Markus Näslund with a blindside hit while Näslund was reaching for a puck through centre ice with his head down. Moore's shoulder contacted Näslund's head in the play. No penalty was called in connection with the hit, but Näslund suffered a concussion and a bone chip in his elbow as a result, and missed three games. The NHL ruled that the hit was legal and did not fine or suspend Moore. Canucks head coach Marc Crawford and general manager Brian Burke publicly criticized the non-call by the referees on the incident. Vancouver players indicated that they would get even with Moore, with left winger Brad May stating that he would put a bounty on Moore's head.
During the next game between the Canucks and Avalanche held in Denver, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL executive vice-president Colin Campbell attended the game, which ended in a tie and saw no major incidents break out.
However, on March 8, 2004, during another rematch between the Avalanche and Canucks, things went differently. In the first period, Moore fought Vancouver player Matt Cooke in a fairly even brawl, and served the 5-minute penalty for fighting. The Avalanche would go on to build up a large lead in a fight-filled game. Late in the third period, Todd Bertuzzi was sent onto the ice. After failing to instigate Moore to fight, Bertuzzi skated after Moore, punched him in the back of the head, and fell on top of him, followed by Moore's teammate Andrei Nikolishin and Bertuzzi's teammate Sean Pronger. Moore was knocked out and lay motionless for ten minutes before being carried off on a stretcher.[2] The combination of the hit, fall, and piling-on had resulted in three fractured neck vertebrae, facial cuts and a concussion.[3]
Bertuzzi was immediately suspended indefinitely by the NHL. The IIHF subsequently honoured the NHL suspension, preventing Bertuzzi playing in any international tournaments or leagues during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Commissioner Gary Bettman reinstated Bertuzzi for the 2005–06 season, and a season later, Bertuzzi would be traded.
On August 22, 2004, Moore was released from a Denver-area hospital. He wore a neck brace for one year and then started physical therapy for his neck injury and concussion.
On February 17, 2005, Bertuzzi was named in a lawsuit filed by Moore, who has not played at all since the injury. Also named were Brad May (who was quoted as saying that there would "definitely be a price on Moore's head" after the game), Brian Burke and the Canucks organization. The lawsuit was thrown out in October 2005, with the judge suggesting that the lawsuit be re-filed in Vancouver, where the incident took place. Eventually re-filed in Canada, the lawsuit is still open.[4]
On August 8, 2005, the NHL announced that Bertuzzi would be allowed to play again at the start of the 2005–06 NHL season.[5] In the league's decision, they cited many reasons for ending the suspension, such as:
On August 12, 2005, Brian Burke, formerly Vancouver's general manager who was now serving in the same capacity with the Toronto Maple Leafs, had made an offer to Moore. It was a two-way contract that would have paid Moore $475,000 US in the NHL and $75,000 if the player suited up for Portland, the American Hockey League affiliate. Moore's lawyer Tim Danson objected that Moore was considered a minor league player by Burke. Danson also described the offer as a self-serving attempt to mitigate potential legal damages, saying that Moore was not medically cleared to play hockey and describing it as adding insult to injury.[1]
On August 15, 2005, Bertuzzi broke his 17-month-long silence by once again admitting to his mistake and expressing a desire to move on with his life. "I'm sure just like Steve Moore and his family, it's been difficult for both parties. I know I wish that day never happened. It's been some tough times, but I've got good family and good friends and good peers in the league that have helped me get over the hump and move forward and come through it."[7]
On November 8, 2005, Moore's Toronto-based lawyer, Tim Danson, said that Moore was skating and doing regular workouts, but continued to suffer concussion-related symptoms.[4]
On February 16, 2006, Moore filed a civil suit in the province of Ontario against Bertuzzi, the Canucks, and the parent company of the Canucks, Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment seeking $15 million in pecuniary damages for loss of income, $1 million for aggravated damages, and $2 million for punitive damages. Moore's parents, who were watching their son on television when the attack happened, are also suing, seeking $1.5 million for "for negligent infliction of nervous shock and mental distress."(all figures in Canadian dollars). Moore's lawyer filed the suit one day before its two-year limitation expired, denying there was any connection between the timing and the 2006 Winter Olympics[8]
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman attempted to get Bertuzzi and Moore to agree on an out-of-court settlement in the CAD$19.5 million lawsuit filed by Moore.[9] Bertuzzi offered $350,000 to settle the case, an amount which was called "an insult" by Moore's lawyer.[10]
On March 28, 2008, Bertuzzi filed a lawsuit against Crawford, alleging that he was contractually obliged to obey Crawford and that therefore Crawford shares responsibility for the injury to Moore.[11] In response, Crawford later stated that Bertuzzi acted in "direct disobedience" to orders from the bench to get off the ice before attacking Moore.[12] On September 14, 2011, The Toronto Sun reported that both Moore v. Bertuzzi, et al. and Bertuzzi v. Crawford will begin September 24, 2012 if Bertuzzi is still an active NHL player, or October 22, 2012 if Bertuzzi retires. Both cases will be held in the Ontario Superior Court before a six person jury.[13][14]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1995–96 | Thornhill Islanders | MetJHL | 50 | 25 | 27 | 52 | 57 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Thornhill Islanders | MetJHL | 50 | 34 | 52 | 86 | 52 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | Harvard University | ECAC | 33 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Harvard University | ECAC | 30 | 18 | 13 | 31 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Harvard University | ECAC | 27 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Harvard University | ECAC | 32 | 7 | 26 | 33 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 68 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2001–02 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 58 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 13 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 57 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 69 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||