Todd Bertuzzi, Steve Moore and the Instigator Rule
By Richard Eriksson on April 7, 2004 - 11:38pm
Marginal Revolution, an excellent economics weblog, points to the Bertuzzi incident as an example of explicit rules having costs and quotes a no longer available Los Angeles Times article:
The incident ignited a firestorm of criticism of the NHL's tolerance of fighting and rough play. But many players, observers and officials say Bertuzzi's attack was an indirect consequence of the instigator rule, which was adopted in 1992 as part of the league's effort to minimize the fighting that bloodied its image in the 1970s.
In its current form, the instigator rule mandates penalties and suspensions for players who start fights and accumulate instigator infractions over the course of a season. However, many say it has made players reluctant to retaliate against cheap shots for fear they'll get an instigator penalty and put their teams at a disadvantage.
Update June 24th, 2004: Bertuzzi has been charged with assault in the Steve Moore incident
I believe it was a cheap shot that never should have happened
I also believe that Bertuzzi should be kicked completely out of the league, it would be the only way that the nhl will get its way across and let the players know that it is unacceptable.
-Jordan G.-
i hate your comment okay no one says that to my favorite player in the league.
If you say it to him you are saying it to every Vancouver Canucks and the whole orginization