Well, it's tough to take my Canuck fan blinders off but I think I would still think so. I think back to the Marty McSorley incident that, ironically, had a Canuck player as a victim. McSorley was suspended for a year for that attack. At the time, it was the longest suspension ever imposed by the NHL. I think the thing that was so egregious about that incident was that he used his stick as a weapon. With Bertuzzi, it was the resultant injuries that offended people. Both hits were blindside hits so that factor is a wash.

You can look at it as a less-than-a-year suspension because of the strike but I still think the suspension had the desired effect. Bertuzzi missed the remainder of the season, the playoffs (which all NHL players live for), he sat out a season of hockey albeit in Europe, and he was barred from playing for Team Canada. People have to remember that missing a season of hockey, even if it is not NHL hockey, is a huge thing for these guys who have played hockey every winter since they could walk. They don't know anything else so the impact of not doing that is profound. If he had the chance I know he would have been playing for a club in Europe, not to mention playing for Team Canada so did he suffer a punishment. There is also the civil lawsuit that was filed. Who knows what the outcome of that will be but it will certainly not be a pleasant experience for Bertuzzi.

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