a Tennessee crash while returning from watching Gordo

TORONTO -- The former owner of the Vancouver Canucks should be forced to answer, in front of a jury, if he approved a career-ending sucker punch on Steve Moore, a lawyer for the former NHL player argued in court Thursday. Its now 10 years after Todd Bertuzzis infamous hit, and Moores multi-million-dollar lawsuit is finally approaching a trial. Moores lawyer, Tim Danson, is asking the Ontario Superior Court to compel John McCaw Jr., who is based in Seattle, to testify in Toronto. "He just goes on with his life with the incredible privileges of being a billionaire...while Steve Moore tries to recover from a shattered life," Danson said in court Thursday. "For him to say, Im not going to come and testify in any capacity is regrettable. Its regrettable and it defies principles of fairness and justice. For him to simply hide behind his U.S. citizenship and residency given the nature of all of these facts should not be accepted and its not something the public would accept." NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly have voluntarily agreed to testify, Danson said. Master Ronald Dash, who is hearing the motion, said he would not order McCaw to testify in person at the trial, slated to begin in September, but is considering Dansons alternate request that McCaw testify via video conference. McCaws lawyer, Steven Frankel, argued that the court doesnt have jurisdiction to do that and suggested Danson is trying to do an "end run" around very specific court rules. Frankel said there is no evidence before the court that McCaw, who is not an individual defendant, even has relevant evidence to give. A jury should be able to hear McCaw answer whether he knew Canucks players were gunning for retaliation against Moore for a hit weeks earlier on former Canucks captain Markus Naslund that resulted in a concussion, Danson argued. Bertuzzi has alleged the Canucks then-coach Marc Crawford urged his players to make Moore "pay the price," while Crawford has claimed Bertuzzi disobeyed instructions to get off the ice before Moore was attacked. Players were issuing public threats against Moore before the hit, Danson said, and what McCaw did or didnt do about it is "highly relevant to the question of negligence." "Theres no way that you can have the intensity of the public threats over three weeks going on unless the corporate culture set by Mr. McCaw allowed it, and he has to answer to that," Danson said. Danson suggested that McCaw fostered a corporate culture that may have at least implicitly approved such an attack, including having as the president and general manager Brian Burke, who was "unapologetic about promoting violence in hockey." "Were Burke and Crawford carrying out the wishes of McCaw?" Danson suggested. "Or given the wink...when it came to getting Mr. Moore?" McCaw no longer owns the Canucks, having sold his company Orca Bay, now known as Canucks Sports and Entertainment. But he maintains a "very significant financial interest" in the outcome of the lawsuit, as he is still on the hook for half of any liability found against the team, which Danson said was a condition of the sale. "If he doesnt testify, if he doesnt come forward, our case is going to be significantly weakened," Danson said. "So he knows its not in his best interest to testify because if he testifies, it will be....to the benefit of the plaintiffs." Moore is suing Bertuzzi and the Canucks for $38 million for a 2004 on-ice hit that left Moore, then a Colorado Avalanche player, with a concussion and three fractured vertebrae. Bertuzzi pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of assault causing bodily harm and was sentenced in 2006 to a years probation and 80 hours of community service. He also served a multi-game suspension from the NHL but has gone on to play for several other NHL teams, including currently as a forward for the Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, for Moore, it has been a "very, very difficult 10 years," Danson said. "I think anybody can imagine, your entire life you want to make it in the NHL and he finally makes it...a dream come true and in his rookie year his career is cut short by probably the worst act of criminal violence in sports history," Danson said. "He still suffers from significant post-concussion symptoms that have a significant impact on his life." The court is expected to issue a decision in a few weeks. Colorado Rockies Store . Atletico Madrid made it three wins from three thanks to a double from in-form striker Diego Costa in a 3-0 victory at Austria Vienna, leaving the Spanish side on the brink of the last 16 already to continue its brilliant start to the season. Colorado Rockies Pro Shop . - A Tuesday funeral is planned in Toronto for 20-year-old Saginaw Spirit forward Terry Trafford. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/ . As Valanciunas was whistled for a rare technical toward the end of the third quarter - a result of waving his hand at an official after being called for a foul - Lowry pulled the Raptors sophomore aside, corralling him by his jersey and patting him on the back. Colorado Rockies Shirts . - A retired Indiana school principal who was NASCAR star Jeff Gordons drivers education teacher was killed with his wife in a Tennessee crash while returning from watching Gordon race. Colorado Rockies Gear . Wheeler scored two goals, including the winner, as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 6-4 on Friday in a game that featured a seven-goal first period.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed reserve offensive lineman Guy Whimper to a one-year deal. Whimper played in 11 games for the Steelers last season, with two starts. The 30-year-old spend four seasons with the New York Giants from 2006-09 before playing in Jacksonville from 2010-12. He joined the Steelers last summer. Whimpper started one game each at left guard and right guard.dddddddddddd Whimper should again compete for a backup spot when camp opens in July. Pittsburgh is expected to have all five starters back along the offensive line, including centre Maurkice Pouncey, who missed all but the first eight plays of the season with a knee injury. ' ' '