Steve Moore (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Moore played college hockey at Harvard and was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the 1998 NHL entry draft. He played 69 games for the Avalanche from 2001 to 2004, scoring five goals and seven assists, all of which came in his later season. On February 16, 2004, during a game between the Canucks and Avalanche, Moore injured Canucks captain Markus Näslund with a high hit; no penalty was called, and the NHL later ruled the hit legal. Canucks head coach Marc Crawford and general manager Brian Burke publicly criticized the non-call. The next game between the teams on March 3, 2004, ended in a tie with no major incidents. However, on March 8, 2004, during another rematch, Moore fought Vancouver's Matt Cooke in the first period. With the Avalanche leading 8–2 in the third period, Todd Bertuzzi skated after Moore, pulled him back by the jersey, and punched him in the back of the head. Moore fell head first into the ice, and other players piled on. He lay motionless for ten minutes before being carried off on a stretcher, having suffered three cervical vertebrae fractures, facial cuts, and a concussion.

Reader's Guide

The Bertuzzi incident ended Moore's NHL career and sparked widespread debate about violence in hockey. Bertuzzi received a match penalty and an indefinite suspension, which was later lifted by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on August 8, 2005, after Bertuzzi served 20 games (13 regular season, 7 playoff) and forfeited over $500,000 in salary. Moore filed a civil lawsuit against Bertuzzi, Brad May, Brian Burke, and the Canucks organization, initially seeking $15 million in pecuniary damages, $1 million in aggravated damages, and $2 million in punitive damages. The lawsuit was initially thrown out in the U.S. and re-filed in Canada. In July 2014, an out-of-court settlement was reached; its terms are confidential. Moore's injury and the subsequent legal and disciplinary fallout have been cited as a catalyst for efforts to reduce gratuitous violence in professional sports. Moore never returned to hockey; he wore a neck brace for one year and later underwent physical therapy, but was never medically cleared to play again.

Did You Know?

• Moore was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, 53rd overall, in the 1998 NHL entry draft.
• He played 69 NHL games for the Avalanche, scoring five goals and seven assists.
• Moore's injury resulted from a punch to the back of the head by Todd Bertuzzi, causing three fractured cervical vertebrae.
• An out-of-court settlement in Moore's civil lawsuit was reached in August 2014; terms are confidential.