Former Vancouver Canucks coach Marc Crawford has been pulled into a multi-million-dollar lawsuit over Todd Bertuzzi's infamous blind-sided attack of Steve Moore.
Crawford could now be on the hook for millions -- but it wasn't Moore who added him to the lawsuit.
In fact, it was his former player, Bertuzzi. According to court documents, Bertuzzi sought to have Crawford included based on the claim that his NHL contract compelled him to take direction from his coach.
The documents go on to say that Bertuzzi alleges Crawford urged him and his then-teammates in a March 2004 game against the Colorado Avalanche, "to make (Moore) 'pay the price'" for a hit against Canuck captain Markus Naslund in a previous game.
Bertuzzi, now with the Anaheim Ducks, alleges Crawford "knew or ought to have known that this was likely to result in injury to Moore.''
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Moore originally filed the suit against Bertuzzi and the Canucks, seeking up to $38 million.
Steve McAllister, sports editor for The Globe and Mail, told CTV Newsnet that it appears Bertuzzi is looking for someone to help if there are financial repercussions for him.
"If Moore is successful with this lawsuit, I think Bertuzzi is looking for someone to pay help the damages and it appears that Bertuzzi is hoping Marc Crawford would help . . . relieve a lot of the financial blow Bertuzzi could take," McAllister said.
Most of the legal discussion, and sure to be sports-talk radio fodder, is what the legal ramifications of the alleged "pay the price" comment will be.
"That expression -- 'pay the price' -- is going to be open to a lot of debate if that is indeed what Crawford (said)," McAllister said.
"But again that's open to interpretation, but obviously Bertuzzi took that to take the actions that he did against Steve Moore."
Bertuzzi's lawyer declined comment to The Canadian Press over the latest twist.
Court has already heard that Crawford is expected to testify that he yelled at Bertuzzi to get off the ice before his infamous attack on Moore.
A brutal attack
During the March 2004 game, Bertuzzi sucker-punched the much-smaller Moore from behind and then fell on top of him with his 245-pound frame.
Moore, a native of Windsor, Ont., suffered three fractured vertebrae in his neck, a concussion and facial cuts. The 29-year-old hasn't played since.
Bertuzzi, was suspended by the NHL for 17 months, although that takes in the 2004-2005 NHL season that was cancelled over a lock-out. Bertuzzi was charged with assault in June 2004 and pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and community service.
