According to a published report, former Vancouver Canucks head coach Marc Crawford claims in court documents that Todd Bertuzzi acted in "direct disobedience" of the team's coaching staff in his 2004 attack on Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore.
The Toronto Star is reporting that Crawford stated that the Canucks' coaching staff was attempting to pull Bertuzzi off the ice before the attack that broke Moore's neck and ended his career.
"Just prior to the attack on Moore, Bertuzzi had been on a shift to kill a penalty, had missed the shift change and had remained on the ice for longer than the rest of his line,'' states Crawford's third-party defence.
"After being directed to get off the ice, Bertuzzi was on his way back to the bench when, suddenly and without warning, he turned around and skated back in the direction of Moore . and attacked Moore.
"This was not done under any specific or general direction or encouragement from Crawford, was a direct disobedience of the instruction that Bertuzzi had been given from the bench to get off the ice, and was a violation of Bertuzzi's duties which Crawford could not be expected to have reasonably anticipated, let alone control.''
Crawford filed a defence in an attempt to protect himself from a claim by Bertuzzi that stated that Crawford should be liable to pay damages awarded to Moore. Moore filed a lawsuit seeking $38 million for loss of income and damages, naming Bertuzzi, the Canucks and Orca Bay as defendants.