Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi finally broke his silence Wednesday night.

Bertuzzi, 29, publicly apologized for his vicious on-ice mugging of rookie Steve Moore late in Monday's 9-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at General Motors Place.

Teary-eyed and obviously remorseful, the suspended all-star began with personal apologies to Moore and to his family.

Todd Bertuzzi tries to compose himself Wednesday at G.M. Place.(CP Photo/Chuck Stoody)
Todd Bertuzzi tries to compose himself Wednesday at G.M. Place.(CP Photo/Chuck Stoody)

"These comments are for Steve," Bertuzzi said. "Steve, I just want to apologize for what happened out there.

"I had no intention on hurting you. And I feel awful for what transpired."

"For Steve's family, I'm sorry you had to go through this."

Bertuzzi, who paused several times to compose himself and wipe away tears, also issued apologies to Canucks management, to owner John McCaw and to his teammates.

Visibly distraught, Bertuzzi momentarily stepped back from the podium and had to be consoled by his wife, Julie, and Canucks president and general manager Brian Burke before continuing.

"For the kids that watch this game, I'm truly sorry," he said. "I'm truly sorry.

"I don't play the game that way. And I'm not a mean-spirited person."

Monday's on-ice attack not only resulted in a suspension from the NHL, but an investigation by Vancouver police.

With Vancouver trailing 8-2 and 8:41 remaining in the third period, Bertuzzi stalked Moore at centre ice, clutched him by the sweater and sucker-punched him from behind with a gloved right.

Bertuzzi was, presumably, retaliating for Moore's questionable Feb. 16 hit on Canucks captain Markus Naslund, who missed three games with a concussion.

Moore appeared to lose consciousness immediately and dropped limply to the ice with the hulking Bertuzzi draped over him.

Moore lay motionless in a pool of blood for several minutes, amid an on-ice melee, before departing on a stretcher.

The Windsor, Ont., native wound up admitted to Vancouver General Hospital's spinal ward with a pair of fractures in his neck, a broken jaw, facial lacerations and a concussion.

"He was very upbeat and seemed to be very positive," Avalanche winger Paul Kariya said of Moore.

"He's doing well," added Avalanche captain Joe Sakic. "There is nothing to the spinal cord, which is nice."

"I'm relieved to hear that Steve's going to make a full recovery," Bertuzzi said. "It means a lot to me."

Bertuzzi was suspended indefinitely without pay and ordered to attend a one-hour, noon-time disciplinary hearing Wednesday at Toronto's Air Canada Centre with Canucks president and general manager Brian Burke and agent Pat Morris.

The NHL will render its ruling Thursday at 9 a.m. EST.

Bertuzzi is expected to receive a lengthy, if not season-long, suspension.

But with league owners prepared to lock out players in 2004-05, it's conceivable that Bertuzzi may not return until September 2005.

"It's very difficult to see a friend going through what he's going through," Naslund said following Wednesday's 1-1 tie with the Minnesota Wild.

"The best service we can do for him is to play good hockey and battle for him. That's what we are going to do."

Bertuzzi, from Sudbury, Ont., established himself as one of the NHL's premier power forwards with 46 goals, 97 points, 144 penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating in 82 games last season.

Although his production has dipped to 17 goals and 60 points with 122 penalty minutes this season, he has a plus-24 rating through 67 games.

It is worth noting that on Oct. 13, 2001, Bertuzzi was suspended 10 games for leaving the bench to aid teammate Ed Jovanovski who was jumped by then-Avalanche enforcer Scott Parker.

with files from CP Online