Former Avalanche forward Steve Moore received an out-of-court settlement Tuesday in his civil suit against the Vancouver Canucks and Todd Bertuzzi.
The suit was scheduled to go to trial Sept. 8 in Toronto, and witnesses were to include NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
A lawyer for Bertuzzi confirmed the settlement to The Canadian Press, but said the terms are confidential. Moore, who was attacked from behind by Bertuzzi in a March 8, 2004 game in Vancouver, was seeking $68 million in damages. He suffered a concussion, three fractured vertebrae and has not played hockey since.
Bertuzzi, suspended by the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation, later pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and one year of probation.
Derek Morris, an Avalanche defenseman at the time, said the attack was “the worst thing I’ve seen. That was a premeditated act. We got a guy hurt because of that. It was disgusting. There’s no other word for that.”
Bertuzzi and then-Vancouver coach Marc Crawford, as well as other Canucks, threatened to get even with Moore after he delivered an unpenalized hit on Vancouver star forward Markus Naslund in a game in Denver on Feb. 16, 2004.
Bertuzzi, 39, continued to play in the NHL until his contract ended with the Detroit Red Wings after last season. He is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Bertuzzi’s career NHL earnings was $47,187,826, according to CapGeek.com. Moore made $425,000.
“We are pleased that the resolution of this matter allows the parties to turn the page and look to the future,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an email to The Canadian Press.
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikechambers
