Second Chance

In about two hours from now...Todd Bertuzzi will skate out in front of one of the crowds most hostile to a single player ever.
For those who have been on Mars for the last eighteen months....Bertuzzi...in March 2004...in response to a player for the
Colorado Avalanche...Steve Moore...having injured the Vancouver Canucks captain Naslund....with a dubious check...
attacked Moore from behind in an inexcusable way...leaving him with injuries he is taking a long time to fully recover from.
[I am rooting for his full recovery]. Tonight's game is the first between these two teams...in Colorado...since that awful night. It seems that despite the retaliation code...well known to exist in the National Hockey
League...given that eighteen months have passed...and both Moore and Bertuzzi have gone through their respective
wringers...the Colorado players are prepared to "just play hockey"...rather than prolong the vendetta. What I am concerned
about...however...is that in the land of guns for anyone who wants them...some "Lee Harvey"...or..."James Earle"...
[conspiracy theories aside]...might use this incident as a lightening rod for "not having a life" and do something stupid and
tragic. So...tonight I'll be rooting for the Canucks...as always...and although I know the crowd is likely to boo like never
before...wish "Big Bert" a safe return from Colorado to Vancouver...leaving his mistake...which I think he has learnt from in
a positive way...behind...for once and for all. I think he deserves a second chance...............Quester.