Coach: "[Moore] Must Pay The Price"

Matt Bodenschatz | National Hockey League

Dec 6, 10:59 AM | Hype this story!

More than three years after Todd Bertuzzi viciously and purposefully drove Steve Moore face-first into the ice, details are being released that could put a coach in jeopardy.

According to documents made public by ESPN, the Vancouver Canucks coach Marc Crawford told his players during the second intermission that “[Moore] must pay the price” for a previous hit on Canucks forward Marcus Naslund.

The “price” was steep, as Moore, a Colorado Avalanche rookie, was removed on a stretcher after laying for minutes in a pool of blood. It later was determined that the forward suffered a broken neck and a concussion, which led to his retirement from the NHL less than a year into his career.

To add insult to injury, the report also states that, as Moore lay on the ice, “a television camera panned to Crawford who was smirking.”

Crawford, who now coaches the Los Angeles Kings, was unwilling to comment.

“I don’t think this is the forum to be talking about that,” he said. “We’ve got enough of our own issues here with the Los Angeles Kings. Those are the things that I’m concerned about. I’m not concerned about anything that’s said otherwise.”

Comments

  1. DaBich

    Dec 6, 12:03 PM

    What a total idiot. I hope this makes it all over the internet and into all the papers. Perhaps Bettman should pay some attention? These kind of people give hockey a bad name.

  2. Ashley Gallant

    Dec 6, 12:21 PM

    Dabich – this story was all over TSN last night during the game, so us people up north know all about it. If the story is true, then I hope it spreads like fire south of the border too, because it’s absolutely disgusting. Coaches should try to stop these things from happening, not encourage their players to engage in such behaviour. I don’t think it’s too much to ask

  3. Matt Bodenschatz

    Dec 6, 12:23 PM

    We’re talking about more than NHL issues here, he could be in some legal trouble, as well.

  4. DaBich

    Dec 7, 10:34 AM

    I hope Crawford IS in legal trouble. It’s what he deserves! Well, if LA fires him, I’m sure Philly will take him! (haha!)

  5. DaBich

    Dec 7, 10:36 AM

    Oh and Ashley, I saw it on FSN as well. This is horrible!

  6. Matt Bodenschatz

    Dec 7, 11:27 AM

    Who knows what will happen, but as you said yesterday, Dabich, this is not the type of person who should be part of the NHL, let alone running a team.

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