Choosing his words carefully because of pending litigation, former Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore this week said he was surprised when Todd Bertuzzi was reinstated to the NHL after delivering a blindside punch 17 months ago that broke Moore's neck and left his future in doubt.
"It's difficult to see that he's able to play again when I still have a long way to go, and not just in hockey, but with my health," Moore told The Denver Post in a far-ranging interview conducted in the Toronto area Wednesday and published in the newspaper's Thursday editions.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman ended Bertuzzi's suspension Monday, clearing him to play in the 2005-06 season. Bertuzzi was suspended for the final 13 games of the 2003-04 regular season and the Canucks' seven playoff games. Bertuzzi was ineligible to play in Europe during the lockout and he lost a little over $500,000 in salary.
Moore underwent extensive examinations this week at the Cleveland Clinic as doctors attempted to gauge his recovery from the fractured neck and concussion he suffered on March 8, 2004. Results aren't expected for several weeks.
"I'm better than I was two months ago, better than I was six months ago, and certainly better than I was 17 months ago," Moore told the newspaper.
He is working out in the gym and on the ice but still experiences occasional wooziness and other effects. Though he isn't under contract to Colorado, he plans to come to Denver in the next few weeks to work with the Avalanche medical staff.
"The concussion is more the issue, for sure," he said. "The neck feels pretty good. I do a lot of exercises on it every day, range of motion and extension and strengthening after having it immobilized for a long period of time. Soft tissue tends to take a while to come back and heal properly, but it's been coming around.
"Most of the time I'm positive that I'm going to get better. I've come a long way and I'm gaining. Things pop in my head every once in a while that shouldn't, but to be honest, I don't think like that very often. If and when I get to the point where I say, 'I'm ready to go, what do you think?' and they say, 'You might feel you're ready to go, but?' At that point, I'll have to re-evaluate. It's hard enough not to feel great all the time and try to be pushing it at the same time."
Moore's Toronto attorney, Tim Danson, said Moore is motivated and determined to keep a positive attitude, even though his hockey career could be over.
"There's a real sadness, a realization that, 'Oh, my gosh, my dream is being smashed.' But then he brings himself out of that and gets positive again," Danson said.
Moore said he hasn't directly heard from Bertuzzi. "I'm not waiting by the phone," he added. "You asked me, so I'm saying no, I haven't, but it's not the type of thing where I'm expecting him to contact me."
He has filed a civil lawsuit in Denver in which he has named Bertuzzi, former Canucks forward Brad May -- who's now with the Avalanche -- Canucks coach Marc Crawford, former GM Brian Burke and Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, owner of the Canucks.
Moore said he doubted he'd be stigmatized in the NHL because of the lawsuit.
"I guess we'll see," Moore said. "I don't think so. I think anybody who understands the situation that I was in, and that I am in, would probably do the same thing. ... I'd like to think that part of putting this whole ugly incident behind me is that I would hope to be back with the Avalanche. And I hope that they realize I've done everything I can to make this not more of a spectacle.
"I haven't done any type of interviews, other than what was really needed when I came out of the hospital or at the time of the criminal charges (against Bertuzzi) and things like that. I have not done a single interview, and I hope that the NHL and the teams recognize that that's something I purposely did, and instead have been concentrating on what I'm trying to do, and not drawing more negative attention to the sport. I've been trying to focus on getting better, and I hope that they're aware of that."
Danson said he believes Moore will drop the suit if he plays again.
"He doesn't want to be in the courtroom, he wants to be on the ice," Danson said.
The Avalanche have not committed to re-signing Moore if he is cleared to play, although the team agreed to allow him to return to Denver and work with its medical staff.
"What we know is that Steve has not been cleared medically," Avalanche spokesman Jean Martineau said. "Hopefully, that will happen. But until then we can't speculate on what we would do."