Marc Crawford - Moore Incident

Moore Incident

For more information, see Todd Bertuzzi–Steve Moore incident.

Crawford, along with Todd Bertuzzi and the Canucks, is the subject of a US$19 million lawsuit by Steve Moore.

Crawford was the subject of substantial criticism following the injury of Steve Moore. On February 16, 2004, Moore caused a concussion to Crawford's captain, Markus Näslund, on a questionable hit. No penalty was called on the play, and the league later reviewed the incident and decided no penalty was warranted. However, Crawford was vocal about the incident and the failure of the league to respond.

During a March 8, 2004, rematch, Todd Bertuzzi grabbed Moore from behind, and rode him into the ice, causing Moore to suffer 3 broken vertebrae, multiple facial lacerations, and ultimately ending his career. In the ensuing commotion, while Moore was lying on the ice, Crawford was allegedly laughing at the situation.

Crawford, along with Bertuzzi and the Canucks organization, is the subject of a $ 19+ million (US) lawsuit by Moore. According to the suit, following the February 16 incident, Crawford encouraged his players to seek revenge, which led in part to the injury to Moore. Specifically, the suit alleges that Crawford, Bertuzzi, and former general manager Brian Burke entered into "an unlawful plan and agreement to assault, batter and injure Moore at a future date for the injuries that Näslund had suffered during the Feb. 16 game."

The Canucks were fined and paid $250,000 USD to the NHL for "...failure to prevent the atmosphere that may have led to the incident."