Sign-In
Cart
The Bounty: Todd Bertuzzi, Steve Moore, and the Hit That Ended a Career Series Name: Off the Ice: Hockey's Criminal Cases Series Number: Book 5
Paperback
Series: Off the Ice: Hockey's Criminal Cases, Book 5
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Aug 19 2026
Pages: 56
Weight: 0.34
Height: 0.12 Width: 8.50 Depth: 11.00
Language: English
It started with a legal hit. It ended with a career destroyed, a criminal conviction, and ten years of legal proceedings.
On February 16, 2004, Colorado Avalanche center Steve Moore delivered a legal open-ice hit on Vancouver Canucks captain Markus Naslund. The NHL reviewed the play and ruled it clean. No penalty, no suspension.
The Canucks were furious. Head coach Marc Crawford publicly criticized the officiating. GM Brian Burke called Moore's hit a marginal player going after a superstar. Brad May, a Canucks forward, publicly declared a bounty on Moore. Todd Bertuzzi called Moore a piece of s--- to reporters.
Three weeks later, on March 8, 2004, the teams met again in Vancouver. Colorado was winning 9-2 in the third period when Bertuzzi was sent onto the ice. He followed Moore around the ice for approximately 40 seconds, tugging at his jersey, trying to get Moore to turn and face him. Moore did not turn. Then Bertuzzi grabbed his jersey from behind, punched him in the back of the head, and drove him face-first into the ice.
Moore was knocked unconscious. He lay motionless in a pool of blood for approximately ten minutes before being removed on a stretcher. He suffered three fractured cervical vertebrae and a severe concussion.
Steve Moore never played professional hockey again.
The Bounty tells the complete story:
The Setup - The legal hit. The Canucks' outrage. The coach's public demands for accountability. The GM's characterization of Moore as a marginal player. Brad May's bounty. Commissioner Bettman attending the March 3 rematch in Denver - and no one doing anything. Five days later, in Vancouver, with no commissioner present.
March 8 - The 40-second pursuit. The enforcer code that said Moore had already paid his dues (he had fought Matt Cooke in the first period). The punch from behind. The pool of blood. Ten minutes on the ice.
The Accounting - Bertuzzi's emotional apology two days later (I had no intention of hurting you). The NHL's unprecedented team fine of $250,000 to the Canucks. The 17-month suspension. The criminal charge: assault causing bodily harm. The guilty plea on December 22, 2004. The conditional discharge: one year probation, 80 hours community service.
The Return - Bertuzzi was reinstated for the 2005-06 season and played eight more years in the NHL. Moore spent years attempting rehabilitation and a return to professional hockey. He could not return.
The Lawsuit - Moore filed a civil suit in 2006 seeking $68 million from Bertuzzi, the Vancouver Canucks, and the NHL. The NHL was named as a defendant on the theory that its institutional culture had contributed to the conditions that produced the attack. Ten years of depositions. Three weeks before trial was to begin, on August 19, 2014: a confidential settlement. Terms never disclosed.
Moore's statement: This day comes with mixed emotions.
Book 5 of the Off the Ice series: hockey's criminal cases told in full.
Also from
Scott, T.
The Forest Floor: Six Unsolved Cases from the Ozarks Series Name: Ozark Crime Series Number: Book 7
Scott, T.
Paperback
A Defence of Some Important Scripture Doctrines, Being a Reply to Certain Objection Urged Against Th
Scott, T.
Paperback
Also in
Hockey
Sports Illustrated the Stanley Cup: A History of Hockey's Greatest Prize from the Pages of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Hardcover
The Unofficial Heated Rivalry Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Love, Hockey, and Food
Anderson, Michelle
Peterson, Chris
Hardcover
The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
Coffey, Wayne
Paperback
The Making of a Miracle: The Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold Medal-Winning U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
Eruzione, Mike
Boudette, Neal
Paperback
Perfect Storm: The Carolina Hurricanes' Incredible Run to the 2026 Stanley Cup
Lavalette, Cory
Paperback
The Whalers: The Rise, Fall, and Enduring Mystique of New England's (Second) Greatest NHL Franchise
Pickens, Patrick
Paperback
Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind the Nhl's Names, Logos, and Uniforms
Creamer, Chris
Radom, Todd
Hardcover
The Game That Saved the NHL: The Broad Street Bullies, the Soviet Red Machine, and Super Series '76
Gruver, Edward
Hardcover
100000 Whys Book for Kids: Sports Edition: The Amazing Question-and-Answer Encyclopedia for Curious Young Athletes [Fun Facts with Trivia for Smart Ch
Publishing, Winning Athlete
Paperback
No One Wins Alone: Leading Others, Building Teams, Inspiring Greatness
Roberts, Jimmy
Messier, Mark
Paperback
Why Not You: My Story of Perseverance, Hockey, and Olympic Gold
Botterill, Jennifer
Rutherford, Kristina
Hardcover
If These Walls Could Talk: Boston Bruins: Stories from the Boston Bruins Ice, Locker Room, and Press Box
Kalman, Matt
Arnold, Dale
Paperback
The Architects: Hockey's Coaching Legends on NHL Glory, Olympic Gold, and What It Means to Lead
Arnold, Dale
Hardcover
The Twins: A Journey of a Lifetime: Twin brothers' journey through Chicago Sports History and their recollections of a bygone era
Ruzicka, Carl
Ruzicka, Tony
Paperback
Mental Toughness for Young Hockey Players: Mindset Training for Athletes, Coaches and Parents
Brooks, Chase
Paperback
One Last Shift: A Journey in Hockey from Stick Boy to Winning Coach and Olympic Dad.
Flanagan, Bill
Hardcover
Finding Murph: How Joe Murphy Went from Winning a Championship to Living Homeless in the Bush
Westhead, Rick
Paperback
So...Your Kid Wants To Be A Goalie?: A Parent's Guide to Raising Mentally Tough, Confident, and Happy Goalies
Goalie, The Mental
Christopher, Austin
Paperback
The Best Seat in the House: Stories from the Nhl--Inside the Room, on the Ice...and on the Bench
McLennan, Jamie
Mendes, Ian
Paperback
Slow Cooker Cookbook for Two - 500 Crock Pot Recipes: Nutritious Recipe Book for Beginners and Pros
Summers, Sophie
Paperback
Ken Morrow: Miracle Gold, Four Stanley Cups, and a Lifetime of Islanders Hockey
Morrow, Ken
Kreda, Allan
Paperback
Behind the Mask: A Revealing Look at Twelve of the Greatest Goalies in Hockey History
Druzin, Randi
Paperback
Scotty Davidson: The Extraordinary Life and Mysterious Death of Canada's Forgotten Hockey Hero
Walthert, Matthew
Hardcover
Glass Seats: Walter Brown and the Forgotten Amateur Stars Who Built Hockey in Boston
Gentile, Matthew
Paperback
Rising from the Deep: The Seattle Kraken, a Tenacious Push for Expansion, and the Emerald City's Sports Revival
Baker, Geoff
Hardcover
Bullies: Catching Up with the Hound, the Hammer, and the Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers
Carchidi, Sam
Hare, Jeff
Hardcover
Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team
Bacon, John U.
Hardcover
Breaking the Ice: Seven Lives, One Game, and the Fight for the Game of Hockey
Davis, Justin
Paperback
Glass Seats: Walter Brown and the Forgotten Amateur Stars Who Built Hockey in Boston
Gentile, Matthew
Hardcover
The Ultimate Hockey Trivia Challenge: Over 600 Quiz Questions for Die-Hard Hockey Fans
Patton, Hank
Paperback
The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys: ...and Other Off-The-Wall Stories about Sports...and Life
Duthie, James
Paperback
Hockey Confidence: Train Your Brain to Win in Hockey and in Life
Hamptonstone Msc, Isabelle
Paperback
The Greatest Comeback: How Team Canada Fought Back, Took the Summit Series, and Reinvented Hockey
Bacon, John U.
Hardcover
Behind the Mask: A Revealing Look at Twelve of the Greatest Goalies in Hockey History
Druzin, Randi
Hardcover
Tourney Time: Stories from the Minnesota Boys State Hockey Tournament
Nelson, L. R.
La Vaque, David
Paperback
Goalie Mindset Secrets: 7 Must Have Goalie Mindset Secrets You Don't Learn in School!
Fry the Goalie Mindset Guy, Pete
Paperback
The California Golden Seals: A Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the Nhl's Most Outlandish Teams
Currier, Steve
Paperback
Game of My Life New York Rangers: Memorable Stories of Rangers Hockey
Kreiser, John
Halligan, John
Hardcover
The Game That Saved the NHL: The Broad Street Bullies, the Soviet Red Machine, and Super Series '76
Gruver, Edward
Paperback
Path to the Summit: Anatoli Tarasov and the History of Soviet Hockey Part 2 (1957-1972)
Genac, Jim
Paperback
Gut Punch: Former Madison Square Garden president tells the true story of how the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, the Knicks lost Pat Riley, and the Yank
Matthews, Wallace
Gutkowski, Bob
Paperback
Odd Man in: Hockey's Emergency Goalies and the Wildest One-Day Job in Sports
Whyno, Stephen
Paperback
Hat Tricks From Heaven: The Story of an Athlete in His Own Prison of Addiction
Genovese, Kate
Paperback
Loving Ladybug, Part One: A Why Choose Omegaverse Friends to Lovers Hockey Romance
Handler, Jane
Paperback
Gut Punch: Former Madison Square Garden president tells the true story of how the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, the Knicks lost Pat Riley, and the Yank
Matthews, Wallace
Gutkowski, Bob
Hardcover