Which was a dirtier play Chris Simon last night or Bertuzzi's sucker punch?

Question

I think Simon's was the dirtier and he should be suspended for this season and at least half of next. Bertuzzi punched a guy with a glove on and Simon swung his stick at a guy's head.

Answer 1

simons was definitly dirtyier, he meant to injure him bertuzzi never meant to injure moore, he just wanted to scare him, the only reason moore got injured was because the avalanche thought they could be heros and jump on bertuzzi, well they were the ones that injured poor steve moores, i dont think moore will try and hit anyones captain dirty anytime soon, and btw moore was never injured enough not to try and sue bertuzzi, maybe if he had of played hockey a little bit better he would have had some money and wouldnt have been so stupid to try and take out naslund

Answer 2

Bertuzzi's was the dirtier play. That one simply makes me sick, the way he plotted and planned, went water-skiing on Moore for quite some time, then pulled him in before carrying out the punch. It was not an immediate response or retaliation to anything. It was considered over a long time and was a blindside.

Chris Simon's hit was dirty, yes. I am a long-time Islanders fan, and that was the only time I have ever felt embarrassed to be one. He should be suspended for the rest of the regular season, and I think for at least one round of the playoffs as well.

I do, however, think that it has been presented a bit unfairly. We see the Simon hit, but we don't see the Hollweg hit nearly as often. In some newscasts, it was not mentioned. It may or may not have been legal, but it did result in a concussion to Chris Simon. He was flat on the ice holding his OWN head for a second or two.

Watching the replay with the game-clock bug, the Hollweg hit happens with 6:37 to go, the Simon hit with 6:33 to go. By the time Simon gets up, he immediately sees Hollweg coming back to him and within about a second of reaching him. Keep in mind that Simon has just suffered a concussion and is not consciously doing much at all at that time.

Put yourself in that position. You've just been drilled from behind, and literally the next thing you know, you see the same guy coming at you again. You have one second to react. Throw in the fact that your head had just been rocked, and your conscious processes are not entirely with you. Frankly, you can't put yourself in that position right now because as you are reading this, you are fully conscious. Really, there is no predicting what any of us would do.

I know that I was once hit by a stray basketball in the schoolyard. I remember shaking it off and continuing to play the game I was already playing. I don't think it was a concussion, as it was discussed with a doctor later. The thing is, I don't remember the part where I'm told I was knocked down by that ball. I'm told I jumped up quickly and kept playing. That's a second or so where I acted on instinct, but wasn't aware of what I was doing.

Chris Simon's act was not a premeditated, plotted attack on an unsuspecting player. It was instantaneous, instinctive, reactionary, and done immediately after what was literally a brain-rattling hit.

Of course, he should not have done what he did. It was still a vicious swing that could have resulted in much worse. You've got to show restraint in that situation, and Chris Simon did not. He will rightfully pay the price, which should be at least a suspension for the rest of the regular season and some playoffs.

However, this hit does not compare with Todd Bertuzzi's premeditated sucker-punch to the head of Steve Moore. Bertuzzi was, without a doubt, completely and fully aware of what he was doing. He considered it, weighed it, and carried it out anyway.

We can't say the same about Chris Simon. Yes, he zeroed in and swung his stick at Ryan Hollweg. Hard. But the thought processes involved in these two hits are completely different. Simon's act was decidedly thoughtless; I'm not sure if any conscious decision-making was going on at all.

For what it's worth, Hollweg at least saw the stick coming, even if for an instant. Moore did not see Bertuzzi's fist.

Bertuzzi's hit was dirtier, hands-down.

Answer 3

I don't know how you people can say Simon's hit was not intentional. If you grab a hockey stick with one hand at the top of the stick and take your other hand and grab the bottom of the stick and hold the stick horizontally as you come at the player it is obvious what you are getting ready to do and you had to take thought to do it.
Bertuzzi''s hit and Simon's hit are both equally bad.
Simon should be suspended for the rest of the season and the playoffs.
It shouldn't matter that Halloweg was not hurt as bad as Moore was from Bertuzzi. It was the intent. And it is obvious Simon had intent to injure when he went toward Halloweg.

Answer 4

I think that their about equal. Simon's hit was dirtier but Bertuzzi's hit hurt a player bad. Steve Moore still hasn't recovered from the Bertuzzi hit. Simon's hit was very malicious. I think that Simon should get more suspension than Bertuzzi and the league shouldn't let Simon come back for a long time. I don't think that Bertuzzi's suspension was long enough, and I believe that they are both really big dirtbags.

Answer 5

Todd Bertuzzi's punch was a much dirtier play because it was pre-meditated. Bertuzzi intended to punch Moore beforehand, whereas Chris Simon got hit from behind and lost his temper. He hadn't planned to attack anybody whereas Bertuzzi did. Not that I'm defending Chris Simon's actions (I think he should be suspended for at least the rest of the season), but I'd like to point out a few things:

1) If Hollweg had been wearing a visor there is a good chance that Simon's stick would have hit the visor and not Hollweg's face.
2) Hollweg's hit should be reviewed as well. It was from behind, and might warrant a suspension of a game or two. Although it wasn't nearly as bad as what Simon did and doesn't justify what Simon did, Hollweg's hit was a dangerous play and should be reviewed by the league.
3) Bertuzzi's attack on Steve Moore was on March 8, 2004. How's that for irony?

Answer 6

The Bertuzzi play was dirtier for only one reason and that is the outcome of the event. Steve Moore is in terrible condition to this day years later. Bertuzzi didn't intend to injure Moore in this way, but that was the outcome and it makes the situation much dirtier. Simon had intent to injure the player he hit. He bluntly struck the player across the face with his stick, but the player will be fine. In all, Bertuzzi's play was much dirtier only because of the outcome.

Answer 7

If you look at results, Bertuzzi had the dirtier play. He broke Moore's neck. If you look at intent, Simon was definitely dirtier. I don't think I've seen anything like that since the McSorely incident. I would hate to think what would have happened if that stick was 3 inches lower.

Answer 8

Simon's was dirtier. While I hate Bertuzzi, the was at least some thought that Moore would be on the receiving end of something. Simon was just a sore loser for being hit cleanly. The way he used his stick, he should convert to baseball.

Answer 9

Bertuzzi's was worse. It was premeditated (his line mates were changing at the time and Bertuzzi stayed on the ice and hunted down Moore). Bertuzzi was charged with assault by police to which he pleaded guilty.
Moore had a mic on in the game (they just happened to be shooting a documentary) Apparently he was threatened by every Canuck that whole game. The NHL has the recordings. The transcripts of those tapes could come out in Moores civil suit against Bertuzzi.

Answer 10

I think the people saying he saw it coming or whatever are so wrong. You skate by players all the time without getting a stick in the head. It is entirely sucker. Just because he could see it swinging at his face doesn't mean that its not a sucker hit.

And Bertuzzi that was a sucker shot too, but let it f'ing go . . .

Answer 11

Bertuzzi's was way worse, in the fact that if you are comming into the game knowing your going after the guy, which is fine I am all for fighting and rough play, but please step up like a man and fight one on one don't skate up from behind sucker punch him and then drive his head into the ground. Simon's was dirty, but it was his loss of self control after being embarrased, not a premeditated attack. Both dirty, but Bertuzzi's was worse. He should have never been allowed back on the ice.