Steve Moore was playing in his 69th game in the NHL.

Moore, a center for the Colorado Avalanche, was nearing the end of his first full season playing for an NHL team. Moore had only five goals in the 2003-04 season through 57 games. He wasn’t a game breaker, the type of playmaker the other team prepares for.

On that night, the other team was the Vancouver Canucks.

Todd Bertuzzi was playing right wing for the Canucks in that game. In his career, Bertuzzi has played in more than 600 games. A notorious tough guy, Bertuzzi has the type of big-play potential that other teams fear.

The differences between the two become more noticeable when comparing statistics. Bertuzzi has 198 goals in his career; Moore has five. Bertuzzi’s tough-playing style has gotten him 911 penalty minutes, compared to Moore’s 41. In fact, Bertuzzi has been ahead of Moore since entering the league -Bertuzzi was a first round draft pick in 1993 while Moore was taken in the second round of the 1998 entry draft.

But there is one difference that stands out above all the statistics. Bertuzzi will play hockey again this season. Moore might never play again.

What happened on that night when the Avalanche and Canucks met would possibly determine the rest of Steve Moore’s career and life.

Earlier in the season, Canucks forward Markus Naslund suffered a concussion from a hit delivered by Moore. And, in a game the Avalanche won 9-2, Bertuzzi set out to settle the score.

While Moore was skating with his back turned, Bertuzzi grabbed Moore’s jersey and sucker-punched Moore in the back of the head. The punch broke Moore’s neck and severely hurt his chances of ever playing hockey again.

The NHL took action, suspending Bertuzzi for the rest of the season. Bertuzzi also lost over $500,000 for his time sitting out.

The following season, no NHL games were played. Bertuzzi and Moore, along with the rest of their colleagues, were locked out by the owners.

Now, just under a year and a half after the incident, Bertuzzi has been reinstated by Commissioner Gary Bettman, a statement saying that Bettman feels Bertuzzi has served his time.

Sorry if I disagree.

Moore is serving his time on the sidelines, still feeling the effects of a hit he didn’t even see coming.

And Bertuzzi, after missing only 20 games at the end of the 2003-04 season, will skate again this season.

Bettman’s argument is that Bertuzzi’s suspension spanned the 17 months from the time of the hit until now. That’s true, in a literal sense – Bertuzzi didn’t play hockey for 17 months. But neither did Bertuzzi’s teammates.

Bertuzzi wasn’t missing anything by being suspended during a lockout. There’s no message to be delivered, no lesson to be learned. Although Bertuzzi may never take a cheap shot at the back of a player’s head ever again, it happened once. And he needs to be punished for that before we forgive and forget.

In the upcoming season, Bertuzzi is scheduled to make $5.2 million. That’s 10 times more money than the costs incurred by Bertuzzi for his actions against Moore.

You tell me who’s learning a lesson.

As the expression goes, “An eye for an eye.” For as long as Moore can’t physically play hockey, why should Bertuzzi be allowed to? In short, he shouldn’t.

Steve Moore was playing in his 69th game in the NHL. And, as it turned out, quite possibly his last.