I only really started watching hockey a few years ago on a regular basis, so I don't have huge amounts to compare this against.

But everyone I've heard in the media seems to be talking about how absolutely brutal and savage this was and its the worst thing they've seen in hockey ever.

Do you guys really think this is the case? Or is it just the media jumping on Bertuzzi since he comes off so cold to them (who wouldn't be, really?) and riding this for as much as its worth.

Compare it to the slash that Matt Johnson gave to Matt Cooke for which he got a five game suspension. Or how about the hit that Steve Moore leveled on Naslund (not saying that this hit justified what Bertuzzi did)? It was absolutely brutal and deliberate. Last game I watched a Wilde's player was holding onto a Canucks player in a fight for the puck near the boards, and pounding on the back of his head.

Those are just a few recent examples.. my hockey trivia isn't good enough to go far back for more examples, though Jozep gave a few more. So is what Bertuzzi did really that bad, in comparison?

As far as the punishment goes, I think it should've been for the regular season only, dependent on if the guy makes a full recovery or not. I don't think the suspension should be extended at all, though and the $250,000 fine to the Canucks was ridiculous.

As a side note, one thing I think is missing from hockey.. sportsmanship. Football, you'll see someone on the other team help a guy off the ground. Soccer, I've seen a team give the ball away on a throw-in just because of a bad call/play on their part. You don't seem things like that in hockey very often at all.

-K