The Todd Bertuzzi / Steve Moore lawsuit is back in the news this morning.
Many outlets are reporting that a settlement has been reached, just weeks ahead of the scheduled September 8 court date. As Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski
points out, a trial would be a messy affair that could expose the dark underbelly of the NHL and pro sports in general. That's something that both the Vancouver Canucks and the NHL would prefer to avoid if at all possible.
News1130 has done a good job of updating their online story with the latest details through the morning.
Click here for that link, including insight from Sportsnet's Michael Grange.
Rick Westhead of TSN broke the news this morning that the settlement could be in jeopardy:
Westhead hasn't confirmed any further details yet, but his Twitter feed is full of possible snags that could hold up the finalization of the deal.
Two interesting points in
this article on TSN.ca—that the "disconcerting email" did not come from Steve Moore's lawyer, and that the paperwork has not yet been signed.
The nasty incident from 2004 has been followed by more than a decade of legal wrangling, so it's not surprising that the settlement wouldn't be a neat-and-tidy finish. A few more details may need to be ironed out, but I'll be very surprised if this case ever sees the inside of a courtroom.
I wonder if a settlement would increase Bertuzzi's chances of picking up a new NHL contract for 2014-15? Now 39, Bertuzzi had 16 points in 59 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season and dressed for just one playoff game. He averaged 14:39 of ice time per game.
Canucks for Kids Fund Hands Out $3.36 Million in Grants
Continuing our philanthropy theme from yesterday, the Vancouver Canucks announced today that they handed out their annual grants from 2013-14's fundraising at a tea reception at Rogers Arena.
The long list of funding recipients includes core charities like Canucks Autism Network, Canuck Place and BC Children's Hospital, as well as other organizations from the Boys and Girls Clubs to Mindcheck.ca and the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.
Fundraising highlights include $780,000 raised through the year's 50/50 draws and $389,000 at the annual Canucks for Kids Telethon on March 19.
Who Wore It Best?
As expected, Markus Naslund gets the nod from
Canucks.com. They've put together an impressive video of his overtime heroics:
Now, on to No. 20, which has a long, but not especially auspicious, list of candidates. Here are my top three suggestions:
Bobby Lalonde: Listed at just 5'5" and 165 pounds, Bobby Lalonde would have been dwarfed by even Cliff Ronning if you lined up all the Canucks' centres over the years side-by-side. Nevertheless, Lalonde was a pesky offensive presence for the early Vancouver Canucks.
Drafted in the second round in 1971, Lalonde spent six seasons in Vancouver, putting up 72 goals and 189 points in 353 games. Lalonde scored 20 goals in his second season, 1972-73, but his best offensive year with Vancouver was 1975-76, when he hit the 50-point mark.
Lalonde left Vancouver when he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Flames to start the 1977-78 season. He hit a career high of 56 points during his second year in Atlanta, then spent two seasons in Boston, a year with Calgary and its minor-league affiliate and moved to Switzerland before retiring in 1982.
Dave Scatchard: Raised in Salmon Arm and drafted in the second round in 1994, Dave Scatchard was a 6'3" center who never quite evolved into the top-six player the Canucks were hoping they'd get, settling into more of a two-way role.
Over three seasons from 1997-98 to 1999-2000, Scatchard recorded 26 goals and 54 points over 179 games. He was traded to the New York Islanders with Bill Muckalt and Kevin Weekes for Felix Potvin in December of 1999, during a stretch when the Canucks were burning through two or three No. 1 goalies a year. Scatchard spent five solid years on Long Island, peaking with 27 goals in 2002-03, then bounced around before retiring in 2011 due to concussion-related symptoms.
Steve Tambellini: A native of Trail, B.C., Steve Tambellini was signed as a free agent by the Canucks in 1985 after stints with the New York Islanders, Colorado Rockies, New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. A 6'0" centre who'd scored 29 goals with Colorado in 1982-83, Tambellini put in three seasons with the Canucks before retiring at age 29. All told, he posted 42 goals and 87 points in 161 games in Vancouver.
After retirement, Tambellini moved into the Canucks' front office, where he'd stay for 20 tumultuous years. He spent the first decade as the team's media relations rep, then became senior vice president of hockey operations in 1997 and vice president of player personnel in 1998. Under Dave Nonis, he became assistant general manager, and kept that position with Mike Gillis until leaving in 2008 to become general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.
After being fired by Edmonton in 2013, he signed on as a part-time scout for the Anaheim Ducks.
This is a tough one. I think I'd throw my vote behind Tambellini thanks to his years of service with management. What about you?
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