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Bertuzzi to stand trial on Jan 17
Disgraced Canadian hockey star Todd Bertuzzi will go on trial in January on assault charges sparked by an on-ice hit which left an opponent with a fractured neck and put his sport in the dock. The trial, in British Columbia Provincial Court in the western city of Vancouver, will begin on January 17 and is expected to last two weeks, prosecution sources said, after a hearing on Wednesday which Bertuzzi did not attend. Bertuzzi said in court last week he would plead not guilty to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, which carries a maximum jail term of 18 months. The Vancouver Canucks' power forward attacked opponent Steve Moore away from the puck in chippy game in match against the Colorado Avalanche. Moore was left lying in a pool of his own blood with fractured neck vertebrae and facial lacerations. His career remains in doubt. Bertuzzi was suspended for the final 13 games of the NHL regular season and the entire playoffs following the March 8 incident. He is not eligible for reinstatement until after a meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Bertuzzi faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison if convicted. The incident was another embarrassment for professional ice hockey in North America, which is on the verge of a labour lockout as owners try to ram through a salary cap system opposed by the players.
(China Daily 09/03/2004 page16) |
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