On 16 February 2004, during a game against the Colorado Avalanche, Näslund received a body-check to the head from opposing forward Steve Moore. Outstretched to retrieve a loose puck, he was hit by Moore with his elbow and shoulder. The league's leading scorer at the time, he sustained a minor concussion, requiring 13 stitches on his forehead and nose, and was sidelined for three games. He also suffered a hyper-extended elbow when he fell to the ice, which he played with through the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. Moore's hit went unpenalized and several Canucks players vowed to exact revenge when the Canucks and Avalanche were set to play each other again on 8 March. Late in the third period of that subsequent game, Todd Bertuzzi skated behind Moore around the ice, punched him in the head and pushed him to the ice. Moore suffered career-ending injuries and Bertuzzi was suspended indefinitely by the league. A close friend of Bertuzzi's, Näslund was deeply affected by the incident, as subsequent lawsuits and public scrutiny negatively impacted Bertuzzi's career. Several years later, Näslund stated, "It still bothers me what Todd has had to go through...There's no question he was standing up for me...it all went too far."