VANCOUVER (CP) - The 13 stitches etched across Markus Naslund's forehead and nose are an ugly reminder of the lack of respect the Canucks captain says some NHL players show for each other.
Naslund, who suffered the first concussion of his career, will be out of action for one to two weeks after being clobbered by Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche in a game Monday in Denver.
The hit itself wasn't dirty, Naslund said. But what bothered the Canucks star is the attitude Moore demonstrated.
``He took advantage of me being in a vulnerable position and he looked to hit me there,'' Naslund said Wednesday. ``You need to finish your hits but there is no reason to go after the head. I don't think there's a reason to attempt to injury players.
``You look at the veteran players who have been around, you listen to them, they feel a lot of young guys coming in have lost a little bit of respect for the game.''
Naslund, runner-up as the NHL's most valuable player last season, was leading the league in scoring with 30 goals and 38 assists when he was hurt.
He said he has no problem with the game being physical. But there is a limit, he suggested.
``Guys are bigger and stronger and it's a physical game,'' he said. ``It's important to have that respect. Hit for cause but don't go out and try and hurt guys.''
Moore caught Naslund in a open-ice collision during the second period of Vancouver's 1-0 win over the Avalanche.
On the play, Naslund was stretching for a loose puck. The six-foot-one, 210-pound Moore swerved into the smaller, lighter Naslund at high speed, smashing him with his shoulder and arm. Some television replays indicated Moore might have caught Naslund with his elbow.
Moore was not penalized on the play and the league opted not to take any action.
Naslund spent Monday night in hospital in Denver and returned to Vancouver on Tuesday.
The hit had several Canuck players talking about retaliation when the two teams meet against March 3 in Denver. Forward Brad May has already said there's a bounty on Moore's head.
Naslund said he'd rather the Canucks concentrate on trying to catch the Avs for first place in the Northwest Division.
``I think there's more important things than to go after a guy like that,'' he said.
``He's not going to make an impact, usually, on the outcome of the game. It's more important to try and win the game and get the points.''
Moore, a 25-year-old from Windsor, Ont., has a degree in environmental sciences and public policy from Harvard. A second-round pick in the 1998 draft, he's played 46 games with Colorado this year with three goals, five assists and 30 penalty minutes.
The Canucks' win over the Avs snapped a three-game losing streak and was just Vancouver's second victory in seven games.
The sports pages of both Vancouver newspapers were full of indignation over Naslund's injury.
``If nothing else, Steve Moore's hit on Markus Naslund offers incontrovertible evidence that the instigator rule has to be dropped and the responsibility for policing the game has to be returned to the players,'' columnist Ed Willes wrote in the Province.
Sun columnist Gary Mason offered Moore a warning.
``I would caution Steve Moore to keep his head up unless he can develop into a must-see, seat-selling NHL superstar in a hurry,'' Mason said.
``Even that might not be enough to get him out of this jam.''
Naslund has one year remaining on his contract and has mused about returning to Sweden to raise his family.
He doubts the incident will affect his decision on retiring.
``Obviously I thought a little bit about it laying in the hospital that night,'' he said.
``I'm not afraid to come back and play and it's not going to make a difference in my decision way or the other.''