Bertuzzi and Cammalleri happy to be back in the Canadian spotlight
Todd Bertuzzi fields questions at a news conference where five new Flames players were introduced Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008 at the Saddledome in Calgary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike Sturk
2008-08-26 17:30:00
CALGARY - Todd Bertuzzi was formally introduced to the Calgary media Tuesday and oddly enough - the burly right-winger, who has had more than his fill of public attention - was actually smiling.
After stints in Florida, Detroit and Anaheim - Bertuzzi, 33, says he is looking forward to playing back in Canada even with the attention that goes with it.
"Here you can't go five or 10 games without a point without anyone noticing and there you can go under the radar a little bit," Bertuzzi said. "That's one thing that I think is going to benefit not just myself but this team. I think you are under the gun here and under the pressure of having to perform."
Bertuzzi is under no illusions about his popularity back here in Canada and especially here in Calgary, largely due to his infamous attack on Steve Moore in March 2004 which ended Moore's career.
"Obviously I'm well aware I wasn't the most popular pickup in Calgary Flame history but at the same time I think you've got to give it a little time and give me a chance," he offered. "I can't lie to you it's not the jersey I thought I was going to wear, but at the same time I played enough games here to know what kind of fan base and what kind of team they are."
Bertuzzi was once one of the NHL's premier power forwards, collecting 97 points with the Vancouver Canucks in 2002-03. He had 40 points (14-26) in 68 games with the Ducks last season.
"In Anaheim I thought it was going to be a good opportunity but I just didn't fit into the mode there with ice time - playing 10 to 12 minutes a game, it's kind of hard to perform."
Centre Mike Cammalleri also expects to benefit from a change of scene after being picked up in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings. Cammalleri, 26, had 47 points (19-28) with Los Angeles last year and is expected to help fill the offensive void left by the departure of Alex Tanguay to Montreal.
As a throng of reporters and cameras surrounded the new players, he seemed amazed at the attention.
"We were over there and they were taking pictures and the only time I've seen this was in L.A. when we got on a red carpet once in a while - not at the rink," he chuckled.
"I said to Todd does this remind you of Vancouver a little bit? He said yeah, here we go again."
Cammalleri, who was once thought to be part of the King's long-term plans, said it's been a long time since he has been on a Canadian team.
"I haven't played a home game on Canadian soil since I was 16 years old, so I think the whole idea of Canadian's knowledge of the game - their love, their passion for the sport is how I grew up," he said.
"It certainly strikes a chord with me."
Bertuzzi, along with Cammalleri and the other recent acquisitions to the team - Rene Bourque, Curtis Glencross and Andre Roy - hope they can get the Flames over the hump next season.
"I'm just gonna come in and put myself in a good position to be successful with my conditioning. This team has been there right from the past five, six seven years," Bertuzzi said.
"It's been on the brink and I think that I'm capable of coming in and helping out and contributing to them."
Flyer guy (Posted 2008-09-01 17:27:56)
Trying to hit Brashear in the shoulder or arms is what I was trying to say.
Flyer guy 16 (Posted 2008-09-01 17:26:53)
I think even the intent on the Mcsorly incident is debatable. No excuse for swinging your stick near a guys head but it looked to me like he was trying to hit Brashear ( a giant phony to begin with) and it went really really wrong. Brashear had injured Bostons goalie,fought Mcsorly once, taunted the Bruins bench and then spent the rest of the game refusing to fight. I certainly am not going to defend Marty's actions but here is another example of where if a so called tough guy had just behaved with a little bit of honour the inury wouldn't have happened. Brashear is known for acting like an idiot and then refusing to fight.Yeah, I know, compared to any of us he's super tough, but he doesn't carry himself like a true tough guy.The book "The Code" talks about both of the incidents and how easily they could have been avoided.
Mike Hubert (Posted 2008-09-01 14:47:19)
Give the Moore situation a rest already! Anyone who has played the game & has not been hit in the head in front of the net must have been sitting on the bench wearing a skirt! Although the outcome is unfortunate & regrettable, there was never any intention of serious harm. If that was the case Todd would have used his stick & not his fist. Lets not forget that Steve was not an "innocent" bystander, but guilty of the same type of play that ended his career. The result was no more intentional than Zednek or Malarchuk getting their throats cut by a skate & while everyone watched in horror, no one was screaming foul, intent or assult in those cases. Now if you want intent, look at Mcsorley!
T.Roy (Posted 2008-08-30 00:07:17)
I guess one of my eyes an one of yours sees eye to eye. I agree Moore knew something was coming, but not a broken neck and a big pay cut.
Flyer guy (Posted 2008-08-29 20:07:22)
200 plus pounds,not players. That would be kind of cool to see though.
Flyer guy (Posted 2008-08-29 19:49:38)
Hey, I never said I thought Bert is a clean player. A 240 pound guy hitting you in the back of the head and jumping on top of you with a few of your own team mate is going to put a guy down.My point is Moore knew what was coming and refused to deal with it. We're arguing about the term sucker punch, I agree Bert is a dirty player and it was a crappy move on his part. You're the one who claimed you've never seen such a goon take a player out of the league, I'm just pointing out some other cases that were as bad or worse. The only reason we're even talking about this is because Moore ended up with a broken neck, which was a result of the dog pile, not the punch.If a pile of 200 plus players don't pile on Moore is probobally making a nice living in the ECHL right now.
T.Roy (Posted 2008-08-29 19:20:28)
flyerguy16. You must have never been in a fight where you got sucker punched. When a guy goes down the way Moore did I don't know if you know what a sucker punch is. Now your going to be the expert and tell us who all the dirty fighters are. Put burtuzzi on the list.
Flyer guy (Posted 2008-08-29 10:24:40)
Swedish guy,Domi may be a punk also but he had honour and would face anybody face to face, usually guys who were a lot bigger than him. Name one Canadian tough guy who is cheaper than Ulfie was(there are some who are in the same ballpark,Simon comes to mind).Ask any long time hockey fan who the cheapest players of all time are and Ulfie will top the list followed by Claude Lemieux, a Canadian weasel who played to injure(Kris Draper) and wouldn't fight if his life depended on it. He eventually fought Mccarty but only because his own team mates couldn't look him in the eye, they had so little respect for him.He certainly wouldn't be considered a tough guy though. Domi actually dropped his glove before nailing Ulfie, a gloved punch to the face doesn't do much damage, Domi's bare fist broke his jaw. If it had been anyone but Ulfie I would agree with you but in this case he got exactly what he deserved. He actually got off light, his career wasn't ended,unlike his cheap shots which did end careers.I only listed two below but there were more.I don't think you can link hockey fighting to off ice violence. I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure Europe has the same problems as us. Your soccer hooligans make us hockey fight loving Canadians look like pacifists in comparison. Europe has it's own problems with drinking and violence which have nothing to do with hockey.Hockey fighting has nothing to do with Canadians proving anything to anybody,it's a part of our game, whether you agree with it or not. We've beat this topic to death but I still think a good old fashioned fight is a lot better than the alternatives when a player is angry and wants some pay back. This isn't a Canadian phenom either. Think back to the Russian player (in Montreal's system) who was upset about a cheap shot he had just taken. He responded with a baseball style swing to the guys head. He's lucky he didn't kill the guy.You may be onto something about a Canadian inferiority complex though. We are considered polite,peaceful,maybe even bland and boring but when it comes to our hockey, that's where we get passionate. Hopefully this was a down to earth answer. BTW, the fact that Ulfie is Swedish has nothing to do with how I feel about him, he's a rat and it doesn't matter where he comes from. When people diss Swedish players I think back to the WHA Jets and the amount of abuse that their Swedish stars had to endure, those guys were tough, even if they never dropped the gloves.
Swedish guy in AZ (Posted 2008-08-29 01:29:37)
and Domi isn't a punk? Isn't sucker-punching somebody in the face with your glove on considered against "the unwritten code of fighting"? Ill admit Samuelsson had some dirty hits that ended ugly, but hes still not as cheap as some Canadian "tuff guys". You guys took hockey and made it into a professional sport and thats awesome, and started the real "world class hockey league" and the NHL is obviously the best. But why the intense love of fighting? In Sweden ( Europe in general) instead of "is hockey" they call fighting "gris hockey" (pig hockey) and fighting is frowned upon in all of Europe. Doesn't it show off of the ice as well? Bar fights, family problems, anger issues. I don't understand why fighting is a necessity. Do Canadians have to prove to Americans that they are tougher? I would love a serious down to earth answer, no trash talk, just an explanation. Why the "tuff guy" syndrom? Does Canada not get enough credit in this world? Americans constantly give Canadians grief but I dont get that either, the US has plenty of problems as we all know...
Flyer guy (Posted 2008-08-28 23:53:12)
What about Ulf Samuelson taking out Cam Neely's knee?Old Montreal fans will recall Ulfie turning his stick and taking out Pierre Mondeu's (spelling?) eye also. Or how about the cement head who suckered Jeff Beukaboom(spelling?) now that was a true sucker punch. Top 5 hockey memory for me was Domi breaking Ulfies jaw with one good punch. A thing of beauty.At any rate Todd's a punk and I won't miss him when he's gone.
T.Roy (Posted 2008-08-28 22:35:07)
Call it what you choose, I never saw such a goon take a player OUT OF THE LEAGUE like Bertuzzi did. I'm from Detroit, and recall he played (if that's what you want to call it) here for a minute. They saw a really good reason to get rid of him. He can't play on a team with skilled players on it.Again, good luck Punktuzzi.
nazzy (Posted 2008-08-28 09:23:26)
That's true Flyer guy 16.
T.Roy not letting Bert play ever again is tupid and for a league that enough money troubles, why remove another star after Moore took Nazlund from them already?
Flyer guy 16 (Posted 2008-08-27 20:18:24)
I can't stand Todd either, but Roy, a sucker punch is when somebody punches someone who doesn't know it is coming. Moore knew exactly what was about to happen, he chose to try to run and hide rather than turn and face moron. Watch the video, Todd has him by the arm and is yapping at him all the way down the ice. That isn't a sucker punch.
sweetgesus1 (Posted 2008-08-27 19:02:51)
easy now roy or wah dont get ur panties in a knot
T.Roy (Posted 2008-08-27 18:18:36)
To all you "not intended to injure fools", anybody that suckerpunches a player the way Bertuzzi did to Moore, then goes on TV crying like the sissy punk he is. In some of the minor leagues, they will eject you right out of that whole league and possibly others. The way the Bertuzzi / Moore incident went down Bertuzzi should be suspended for as long as Moore can't play. He's nothing but an overweight goon anyway! Good luck Calgary.
Barrows (Posted 2008-08-27 17:48:58)
Both of these players will add significantly to Calgary's identity as one of the toughest teams to play against night in night out, something they have lost since their run in 2004. Tanguay and Huselius are both talented players (but painfully inconsistent) and it will be interesting to see how their careers pan out elsewhere. They weren't physical enough to fit into the Sutter mantra. The new additions in Calgary will add the grit that has been lacking without compromising scoring. The points per game average on the aquistions compared to subtractions is virtually identical.
Dave S (Posted 2008-08-27 13:31:10)
I never thought I would say this as an Oiler fan, but you Flamers have much better attitudes then you are given credit for.
I have seen several posts here that actually take the time to reference the actions in the clip of the "Moore" incident, especially the fact that the Bertuzzi cheap shot to the back of the head is not what caused the neck break, rather the pileup directly thereafter, also , the fact that the cheap shot little bastard that wouldn't have played any more then 2 seasons in the NHL due to lack of talent was RUNNING Vancouver's star player a couple games before that and actually injured him with no call also makes a difference.
I also like the fact there are people suggesting this story is now a dead issue, and it is due to it's age and over analysis.
Whenever anyone mentions this story it seems those that speak the loudest are farthest away from the game of hockey (tree huggers, soccer mom's...ect, ect).
The time to end it now folks and Calgary , you shouldn't be disappointed in this signing because no matter what happens the 30-60 points he gets is well worth the 1.95 a year he received.
elbowsup (Posted 2008-08-27 12:50:40)
Why would you want to take a team that has above average chemistry and add two of the leagues biggest crybabies. The Flames are paying a heck of a high price to add some scoring. Can anyone see either of these whinners respond to tough coaching?
KingsFan (Posted 2008-08-27 03:33:56)
Ditto Flake. Cammalleri gave Kings fans fast, exciting plays and a bunch of nail-biter game-winners from one knee. We'll miss him greatly in LA. Good luck to him in Calgary!
Flake (Posted 2008-08-27 01:51:32)
I'm a diehard LA Kings fan, and Cammalleri has this laser-beam slapshot that he usually takes from down on one knee, it's really cool to watch...I'll miss it and I'm sure the Flames fans will enjoy seeing him do it.
Flyer guy 16 (Posted 2008-08-27 00:28:47)
Moore only fought Cooke because he was the only player on the Canucks who was smaller and a worse fighter than him. Gutless? yes. Stupid? no.
Killer (Posted 2008-08-27 00:19:54)
Okay, so yeah Moore was an Avery type player and he did take a run at Naslund and St. Louis and many others throughout his short career. Yes I agree that since the league did nothing about it and wasn't going to do anything about it that players have to take matters into there own hands.
Does that mean finishing your checks on Moore? Yes.
Does that mean having a small scrap? Yes and Moore did fight that night, only he fought Matt Cooke and won the fight.
Bertuzzi did not mean to nearly kill the guy, he tried to fight Moore more than once, but Moore refused to fight him.
Cowardly? Yes, but it was still Bert's choice to punch him in the head from behind so he was punished. Done.
Flyer guy 16 (Posted 2008-08-26 23:31:47)
Brandon, what's that about Moore threatening Vancouver players? I've never heard that before. Also, are there any T.B. fans who recall a game where St.Louis was in a vulnerable position near the boards and Moore tried to put him into the upper deck? I heard a guy on the radio talking about it. Just curious.
moonknight (Posted 2008-08-26 22:58:47)
mike> i'm sorry you found my post to be so juvenile. i'm not exactly sure what about it struck you that way but hey, it's your opinion. i'm also entitled to mine so i'll post on these boards whenever the hell i feel like it. If this somehow annoys you, too bad. Cry me a river.
Flyer guy 16 (Posted 2008-08-26 22:50:03)
Todd needs to dust off the cheque book and offer something reasonable to Moore. Moore's dreaming if he thinks he's going to get 30 million(or whatever ridiculous number he's after) but all the money Todd has made since the incident has been free money based on his play.I have a feeling Moore won't accept anything though, he wants to put the game on trial. It's pretty clear though that it wasn't boneheads punch that broke his neck, it was the dog pile. And nobody really believes that Moore didn't know what was about to happen do they? He practically carried the big oaf from one end of the ice to the other. Will this story EVER go away?
desmond McKilligan (Posted 2008-08-26 22:48:26)
Hahaha......Everybody hates Bert till he's on their team. Calgary faithful are no different. Gee, if Bert plays with every team in the NHL, EVERYONE will love him again. Maybe thats the plan. They will find out what his former team-mates and fans have found out. He is bad in dressing rooms, he pouts when his ice-time isn't where he thinks it should be. Then, doesn't put his heart into the rest of the game. He bad-mouths his team-mates if he thinks they should have passed him the puck, or that they made a bad pass to him. He's a whiner, complainer, and not worth the 30-40 points they'll get. Go get'm Bert!!
Flyerfan52 (Posted 2008-08-26 22:39:11)
I'm a fan of hard hitting hockey and never had a problem with fighting or even brawls. Bert's hit from behind - and I'm not a fan of doing that - was not meant to injure I'm sure. The part that gets to me is the blame game they're playing. Vancouver/ex-management/Bertuzzi/Moore - everyone is suing everyone in sight. Bertuzzi, just tell him you went after him because he did something to one of your guys - of course, not accepting liability. If they hadn't taken out retaliation as a natural part of the game, Moore wouldn't have done it and there wouldn't be consequences.
Brandon Sparks (Posted 2008-08-26 21:58:54)
Isn't it time that we got over the Moore incident? I mean, people all gang up on Bertuzzi because of it, somehow having the illusion that Moore did nothing to aggravate him or his teammates, rather that he was an innocent bystander to Bertuzzi's uncontrollable rage. Now, this would be understandable if Bertuzzi had a history of this, or if he was able to brush this off, but the fact is, he isn't and he hasn't. He has suffered for this, whether people choose to believe it or not. Also, not that this can be used as a defense for Bertuzzi, but the actual injury that resulted from the on-ice antics were completely accidental. Yes, Bertuzzi meant to cause Moore some pain, just as any combatants do in a fight, but he did not intend to force Moore to have to consider retirement. It serves Moore right for being a bully, since he couldn't get into the NHL on skill and work ethic. When you think about it, people tend to admire people who stand up to bullies (even in the NHL when a pest goes after someone who was picking on a teammate), which makes me wonder why this is such an exception. Let's not forget the testimony from the Vancouver players saying that Moore had threatened them before.
Mike (Posted 2008-08-26 21:58:11)
moonknight, what are you, 13? Go watch Sailor Scouts or whatever, leave the conversation to us big boys.
Isaac (Posted 2008-08-26 21:07:49)
From some reason I've always liked Bertuzzi, I really hope he can have a come back year and I think Iginla will help him alot, should also help that he will be in a hockey market. Keenan might be a good coach for him too...looks like there are lots of pluses for him being in Calgary.
moonknight (Posted 2008-08-26 19:33:26)
I don't like Bertuzzi. I didn't like him before the Moore incident. And since it happened, it's made me sick reading people saying Moore brought it on himself or it was just bad luck and Bertuzzi didn't really do anything that bad etc. etc.
it's been years since then and obviously, I still don't like Bertuzzi. But I'm not going to condemn him anymore. Given the way his career has gone since that incident and the way he's been treated by fans and the media, it's all obviously had a big effect on him. His talent can't be denied - he can be an impact player. I still don't think it's exactly right that he gets to play while Moore's career is definitely over but things are the way they are and i'm not going to waste any more energy hating Bertuzzi's guts for it. The fact is he's still in the NHL and still has a chance to be successful. So even though I don't like him and probably never will, I really do hope he finds some measure of success again. It's not because he's a Flame now - they're only a team I sort of like. it's because i do believe in this: that you can screw up in life; you can screw up badly and do something you can't ever take back. But what you can do is move on (without forgetting) and try your best to be a good person and not repeat old mistakes. And i think Bertuzzi is doing that. I'll never agree with those people that downplay the Moore incident and say Bertuzzi didn't deserve what he went through as a result of that. But I don't think he agrees with them either. So even though I don't like him, I hope he does well and finishes with a career to be proud of. For better or worse, they didn't kick him out of the league. Let's see him make the most of it.
Mike (Posted 2008-08-26 18:53:17)
I love Calgary's team, I hope Bertuzzi has a great year and gets a new Flames contract out of it. I believe he still has what it takes to make a difference on an NHL club.
Jay (Posted 2008-08-26 18:14:25)
I've always found it interesting that Calgary's defense appears to be solid on paper, but it never lives up to expectations.
Eric (Posted 2008-08-26 18:05:55)
As a Wings fan I'm biased to pick Lidstrom over Phaneuf. But there's a reason that Phaneuf was considered the second best defenseman in the league last year - he's that good. Sure, doesn't have the support on defense that Lidstrom has, but that's no reason for Kiprusoff's numbers last year. He was phenomenal against Detroit in the 2007 playoffs and almost won the Cup for Calgary in 2004. Don't count out Kiprusoff; he has the ability to carry the load for large stretches. That being said, Calgary does need an upgrade on defense, but that's a lot to ask for in today's NHL.
adam (Posted 2008-08-26 17:52:52)
Kipper isnt going to play well until he has a decent defense in front of him. He would look GREAT wearing a winged wheel! Oh yea, and dont tell me about Phaneuf, that isnt enough, do you think Lidstrom would be just as good if he was all alone? And yes...I am comparing Phaneuf to Lidstrom (without the hitting).
Jay (Posted 2008-08-26 17:47:47)
I'm really excited to see what these guys can do for the Flames' offense. If they do their job right, and Kiprusoff manages to tighten up his game, the Flames will be a very interesting team to watch.
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