NHL news in August is usually pretty mundane.  As most NHL/hockey fans know that you have to really search for good stories regarding the league. Unfortunately this isn’t the kind of story the NHL wants to see in August. I ran across a story on ESPN.com about Marc Crawford and Tod Bertuzzi.  For a bit of a back story, Todd Bertuzzi is facing a lawsuit in regards to an on-ice attack against then Colorado Avalanche, Steve Moore. Bertuzzi essentially sucker punched Moore in the back of the head and then proceeded to fall on top of him and continued to punch him. Moore suffered severe injuries to the neck and head and has since left the league.

Bertuzzi is trying to say that Crawford and the Canucks organization should be held just as responsible - clearly implicating that the coaches had directed retaliation against Moore for his hit in an earlier game against Marcus Naslund.

Crawford is stating that Bertuzzi acted on his own and “acted in disobedience” for not coming off the ice when directed by the staff.

Here is what I know. I have grown up around hockey nearly all my life. I know that everyone has their role to play. Whether it is the mucker, the set up man, the scorer or the enforcer, everyone knows their role. They also know that when the coach puts them in the game during certain situations it is time for them to do their job.

Crawford may not have given a direct order at that specific time, but I can guarantee that there was talk in the locker room about revenge. And Crawford, putting Bertuzzi out at that time, when Moore was on the ice, had to expect that the “job” would get taken care of.

I am not saying that I excuse what happened on the ice.  I think Bertuzzi acted outside the normal conduct of the game, and he acted cowardly by attacking Moore from behind.

But I also think that Crawford and the Canucks to just throw Bertuzzi under the proverbial bus is just as cowardly. Hockey is a sport played by certain rules. Tit for Tat is a way of life, and coaches are responsible for their players actions. Someone needs to step up and take responsibility for this and be a man. Bertuzzi needs to take the majority of the blame, but Crawford needs to step up and take some of the responsibility as well.

What are your thoughts? Is Crawford throwing Bertuzzi under the bus?