Todd Bertuzzi
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Todd Bertuzzi (b. February 2, 1975 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player in the NHL, playing right wing for the Vancouver Canucks.
Bertuzzi was drafted in 1993 by the New York Islanders, but has played his last six seasons for Vancouver. His best season was 2002-03 when he had 97 points.
Bertuzzi plays on one of the NHL's most dominant lines, consisting of himself, Markus Näslund, and Brendan Morrison. Bertuzzi is one of the league's largest and most feared players, renowned for his thunderous checks and thought to be one of the best power forwards to ever play the game.
Bertuzzi was suspended from play in the NHL following an attack on an opponent, Steve Moore during a game against the Colorado Avalanche on March 8, 2004. The attack began with a punch to the side of Moore's head, which knocked Moore unconscious. Moore fell to the ice at the same time as Bertuzzi fell on top of Moore. The Canucks had vowed revenge against Moore because he had injured team captain Markus Näslund with a questionable open-ice hit just two weeks prior. Bertuzzi was investigated by the police for the incident, in which Moore sustained injuries, including two chipped vertebrae in his neck, and was later charged with assault by Vancouver police. The 25-year-old native of Windsor, Ontario, also sustained a concussion plus facial lacerations and abrasions to the forehead, right cheek and upper lip. Bertuzzi was suspended for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs, and lost approximately $700,000 in pay. The Vancouver Canucks were also fined $250,000, on March 11, 2004. Bertuzzi must also be reinstated into the NHL by the league commissioner, Gary Bettman, before he can play again.
On June 24, 2004, the criminal justice branch of the British Columbian Ministry of the Attorney General announced that Bertuzzi was formally charged with assault causing bodily harm. Bertuzzi was eventually able to arrange a plea bargain with prosecutors, and was given a conditional discharge and one year's probation. Under Canadian law, if Bertuzzi successfully completes the probation then the criminal record of the incident will be expunged.
Although Bertuzzi has played in a charity game in Vancouver that was arranged during the 2004 NHL lockout, the International Ice Hockey Federation has extended his suspension to cover their jurisdiction. This means that as of this writing, Bertuzzi cannot play hockey in Europe. Bertuzzi has since begun the process of applying for re-instatement by the NHL, which would at least allow him sign with a European club as long as the lockout is not resolved. Although the IIHF is under no obligation to allow Bertuzzi to play in Europe should the NHL re-instate him, the world governing body has indicated it will be strongly influenced by the NHL's decision.
Achievements
- 1995 - OHL Second All-Star team
- 2003 - NHL First All-Star Team
- 2003 - Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 2004 - Played in NHL All-Star Game
External links
- Official Todd Bertuzzi Website (http://www.toddbertuzziauthentic.com)