Report: Bertuzzi facing a possible 10 game suspension.

Big trouble for Bertuzzi?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
Report: Bertuzzi facing a possible 10 game suspension.
Daniel Lea/CSM/Zuma

Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, the nephew of infamous former National Hockey League forward Todd Bertuzzi may have landed himself in some very hot water indeed. According to a report from ESPN's Greg Wyshynski a source has informed ESPNthat Bertuzzi will in fact face discipline for the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety following an incident that occurred while he was on the Red Wings's bench last night.

The incident occurred during the Sunday night match up between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Midtown Detroit and no matter how the National Hockey League rules on this one it is going to be a source of controversy. It all started when Red Wings defenseman Mike Green laid a big hit on Avalanche forward Matt Calvert right in front of the Red Wings bench. The force of the hit was enough to knock Calvert partially into the bench and as the Avalanche forward attempted to skate away he found that he was unable to do so because his stick was stuck on something.

It was not something so much as it was someone, Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin had a very firm grip on the shaft of Calvert's stick, and you can easily understand why Calvert was none too happy about being kept out of the play by the antics of the Red Wings on the bench. A bit of a fight ensued for the stick and that's when things got really rough, specifically between Calvert an the aforementioned Tyler Bertuzzi. There are some who have claimed that Calvert delivered a stiff spear to Bertuzzi, although with all the chaos in the video it is difficult to gauge whether that was intentional or merely a product of trying to get his stick back, but the sucker punch that followed was clearly very intentional. 

Bertuzzi landed a nasty looking sucker punch on Calvert following the alleged spear and this is without a doubt the moment that the NHL's Department of Player Safety will be focusing on when they hand out discipline to Bertuzzi. Now if the Red Wings forward really was speared on the play I can hardly blame him for reacting in an angry manner, but the uppercut he landed on Calvert simply can not go undisciplined by the league. 

A player joining an altercation from the bench usually faces a minimum of a 10 game suspension and this could easily be interpreted as such when you consider that this was clearly a case of players on the bench instigating an incident with a player who was engaged in a live play on the ice. That being said if Bertuzzi was speared I hope the NHL's Department of Player Safety will take that into consideration and give him some leniency as a result. If they do interpret as a player form the bench joining an altercation however it's an automatic 10 games.

Update: NHL Player safety confirms the hearing, although it does not appear to be in person which may mean he has dodged the worst of it.


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