Naslund out one week after 'cheap shot'
Canadian Press
2/17/2004
VANCOUVER (CP) - The hit that sent Canucks captain Markus Naslund to hospital and will keep him out of the NHL team's lineup for one week was a cheap shot by a marginal player, Vancouver GM Brian Burke charged Tuesday.
But the league disagreed, opting not to take any action. No penalty was called on the play in the second period of the Canucks' 1-0 win Monday night over the hometown Avalanche.
Naslund, who was the league's leading scorer with 30 goals and 38 assists in 59 games, was taken to hospital in Denver for observation after being clobbered with a hit from Colorado rookie Steve Moore.
Team officials said he spent the night in hospital with ``concussion-like symptoms'' and was expected to be ``out approximately one week.''
Naslund was left crumpled on the ice, blood pouring from a cut, after being run over by Moore.
``I think it's a marginal player going after a superstar with a head-hunting hit,'' Burke seethed. ``I thought it was a cheap shot.''
On the play, Naslund was stretching for a loose puck and Moore swerved into him at high speed, striking him with his shoulder and arm. Some television replays indicated Moore might have hit Naslund with his elbow.
Burke said it's irrelevant whether Moore used his elbow or not.
``Whether there's an elbow or not, you have a player that is going down and this player (Moore) dropped his shoulder down and went right at this head,'' said Burke.
Moore, who has three goals and five assists in 46 games, said he was simply finishing his check.
``I guess it ended up being Naslund and they weren't too happy with that,'' he told both the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. ``But I'm certainly not looking to hurt him. (It was) just a clean bodycheck with the shoulder.''
Canucks coach Marc Crawford disagreed.
``That was a cheap shot by a young kid on a captain, the leading scorer in the league, and we get no call,'' Crawford fumed in a post-game interview.
``That is ridiculous. How does that happen? Why is there no respect from those referees for the leading scorer in the league? I do not understand that for the life of me. I don't care if they fine me.''
Burke doubted if Crawford's outburst would result in the league taking money out of the coach's pocket.
``I don't think anything he said was fineable but if the league sees it differently, that's fine with us,'' said Burke.
After the game some of the Canuck players were already looking forward to retaliation against Moore when the Canucks play the Avalanche against March 3 in Denver.
``Pledging retaliation isn't something the league needs,'' Burke warned.
Colorado coach Tony Granato said he watched a replay of the hit and Moore didn't do anything illegal.
``He hit him with his shoulder,'' Granato said. ``It's very unfortunate when someone gets hurt and leaves the game, especially a player like (Naslund), but it's hockey.''
Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla was more critical.
``The league treats its stars like pieces of meat,'' Kiszla wrote.
``So why should we be surprised when Vancouver's Markus Naslund . . . was knocked to his hands and knees Monday night, unable to rise after a dangerous hit by Colorado foe Steve Moore and the referees all turned blind?
``The injustice of it should anger anybody who loves the speed and skill of this game.''
There is no love lost between the Canucks and Avs, but Burke doubted history had anything to do with Moore's hit.
``This kid wasn't part of any history,'' Burke said. ``This was a chance to take out a star player and he took it.''
Cheers,
Aquaman