VANCOUVER (CP) - Vancouver Canucks fans held a march and rally to show their support for suspended power forward Todd Bertuzzi before Saturday's home game against the Ottawa Senators.
The crowd, estimated to be between 300 and 500 people, marched around GM Place and up several blocks to the local CBC station, where they gathered to listen to speakers.
``All these people out here just want him to know that we still love him,'' said Susan Hickey of White Rock, B.C., who held up part of a banner that read ``In Todd We Trust''.
``He's still our Todd Bertuzzi and we still want him on our team next year.''
Fans also were signing a petition in hopes that the NHL would reconsider the suspension Bertuzzi was given.
Bertuzzi was suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs for sucker-punching Steve Moore in a game Monday night that left the Colorado Avalanche player in hospital. Moore has two fractured vertebrae in his neck, a concussion and a deep laceration to his face.
Bertuzzi's suspension will be reassessed after the season. He may be suspended part of next season as well.
A Vancouver police investigation into the situation is continuing. Officials say it could take up to four weeks to complete.
Moore spent the week at a Vancouver hospital but, according to one local radio report, will fly home to Colorado either Saturday night or early Sunday.
The crowd also chanted ``get well Moore''.
Hickey said Bertuzzi's penalty is too severe.
``I don't think Todd meant to hurt Moore,'' she said. ``I think it was a stupid move and it shouldn't have happened but I think the league took a really hard line with him and it's not fair.''
Rally organizer Sean Carl told CTV News Bertuzzi is being shafted and claimed Moore's injuries have been exaggerated.
``He's got whiplash,'' Carl said. ``Steve Moore will walk.''
Fan Jamie Jacobs said an open-ended suspension was out of line.
``We came down here to support Todd and to show the NHL and Gary Bettman this is totally unfair. A suspension with a given number of games is fair but an open-ended suspension, that's not fair,'' Jacobs said as the Hockey Night in Canada theme boomed from speakers behind him.
``That's like saying `you've committed a crime so when we see how the person's doing later in life we'll maybe let you out of jail.' It's crazy.
``Logic and Bettman and the NHL, that wouldn't work. We would never ask for anything as ludicrous as logic in the NHL,'' Jacobs added.
Lisa Mayea, who came in from Ladysmith, B.C., wore a Bertuzzi jersey and said the suspension was part of an NHL conspiracy.
``I think the NHL doesn't want us to have the Cup,'' she said. ``They're taking away one of our good players but we're going to show them and win it anyways.''
For $20 you could buy a ``Free Bert'' shirt. Troy Bailly, of Vancouver, said he barely had the shirts out of his car in the parking lot before he was surrounded by buyers.