NHL Player Found Guilty of Assault

V A N C O U V E R, British Columbia, Oct. 6, 2000 -- Marty McSorley was foundguilty of assault with a weapon today but won’t go to jail for smashing an opponentin the head with a stick during an NHL game.

McSorley was granted a conditional discharge, meaning no chargeswill go on his record as long as he completes 18 months ofprobation. He was also ordered not to play against Donald Brashear duringthat time.

If McSorley were to play against Brashear in the United States,the Canadian court would consider that a probation violation.

McSorley had contended that the hit that sent Brashearsprawling to the ice was an accident.

“He [McSorley] had an impulse to strike him in the head,”Judge William Kitchen said. “Brashear was struck as intended.”

A Particularly Brutal Hit

The trial was the first for an on-ice attack by an NHL playersince Dino Ciccarelli, then with the Minnesota North Stars, wassentenced in 1988. He received one day in jail and a $1,000 finefor hitting Toronto’s Luke Richardson with his stick.

Though hockey players are frequently penalized for swiping atopponents with sticks, an infraction called “slashing,”such attacks rarely end up in court. ButMcSorley’s hit was considered particularly brutal. He was chargedafter thousands of fans and millions more TV viewers watched thehit on Brashear. The blow occurred with three seconds remaining in the game.

McSorley, who has played for six teams during a 17-year career,hit Brashear with three seconds left during a Feb. 21 game betweenthe Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks.

As Brashear skated with his back to McSorley, the Bruinsdefenseman came up behind him and slashed at his upper body,striking him in the side of the head.

Brashear’s head struck the ice. He briefly lost consciousnessand sustained a concussion and memory lapses. He returned to playafter several weeks and has fully recovered.

Brashear testified that he still has no memory of what happened.

A Sport of Risk

Bill Smart, McSorley’s lawyer, argued that NHL players give“explicit consent” to the risk of on-ice contact and McSorley’shit was not an assault.

McSorley, one of the league’s notorious enforcers, testified hedidn’t intend to hit Brashear in the head. He contends he wasinstead trying to hit him in the shoulder to provoke him intofighting.

“If Marty McSorley had skated up the ice and slashed DonaldBrashear in the upper shoulder, there would be no criminalassault,” Smart said. “It’s within the norms of NHL hockey.”

McSorley was suspended by the NHL for the rest of the seasonafter the hit and is an unrestricted free agent. He must meet withNHL Commissioner Gary Bettman before he can resume playing.

The league maintained it took adequate action when it handedMcSorley the longest suspension — 23 games — in league history.

Even Brashear admitted in testimony that he didn’t want to be incourt.

Brashear, a left wing who had 11 goals and 136 penalty minutesin 60 games last season, re-signed with the Canucks on Sept. 19.Vancouver opened its season Thursday at Philadelphia.

The weeklong trial featured evidence from McSorley and Brashear,on-ice officials, Canucks coach Marc Crawford, New York Rangersexecutive Glen Sather and others.

Even Wayne Gretzky made a cameo appearance. He did not testifybut sat in the courtroom in support of McSorley, his friend andonce his on-ice protector.