Todd Bertuzzi

At 49 years old, Todd Bertuzzi has this physical status:

Todd Bertuzzi (born February 2, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Known as a power forward, he has played in the NHL for the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings. Selected 23rd overall by the New York Islanders in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, he played at the junior level with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons.

In 1995–96, he played his rookie season with the Islanders.

After two-and-a-half seasons with the Islanders, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks.

Bertuzzi enjoyed the most successful seasons of his career with the Canucks—his longest tenured team in the NHL—including NHL First Team All-Star honours in 2003.

During the 2003–04 season, he was suspended for the Todd Bertuzzi–Steve Moore incident.

In 2006, after seven-and-a-half seasons with Vancouver, Bertuzzi was dealt to the Florida Panthers, with whom he briefly played for until being traded again to the Red Wings.

He then played single seasons with the Anaheim Ducks and the Calgary Flames before returning to Detroit in 2009 and finishing his career there.

Internationally, Bertuzzi has competed for Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, as well as the 1998 and 2000 World Championships.

Personal life

Bertuzzi was born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario. His father, Albert Bertuzzi, is an Italian-Canadian who worked in the window-washing business. When Bertuzzi was a teenager, Albert survived a near-fatal car accident in which he was thrown from the vehicle through the windshield. His father has stated that he was proud of his own local reputation as a "dirty player" and referred to it as a "Bertuzzi trait". He has said that Bertuzzi takes after him in regards to his toughness and aggression. Bertuzzi's great-uncle, Larry Bertuzzi, is a Toronto-based lawyer who has done arbitration work for the NHL, including on the Eric Lindros trade.

Growing up, Bertuzzi played minor hockey with the Nickel Centre and Sudbury Minor Hockey programs. In 1990–91, Bertuzzi played as an underaged player in the major midget ranks with the Sudbury Capitals AAA team. Physically built as a power forward throughout his youth, he stood 6 feet and 2 inches (1.88 metres) and weighed 195 pounds (88.5 kilograms) by age 15.

Bertuzzi and his wife, Julie, were married in July 1996. They have two children born one and a half years apart in Vancouver, a son named Tag and a daughter named Jaden. His son, Tag Bertuzzi, was invited to the Florida Panthers development roster in 2022, and was drafted into the OHL by the Guelph Storm, 2nd overall in 2017. Bertuzzi is a recreational golfer and has credited the sport with allowing him to relax more as a hockey player. During his 10-game suspension from the NHL in October and November 2001, he played golf to focus his energy. Afterwards, he made it a custom to go to the driving range before every game.

Bertuzzi's nephew Tyler Bertuzzi plays hockey for the Detroit Red Wings.

Bertuzzi was arrested on February 27, 2021, and was detained at the Oakland County Jail in Michigan on suspicion of DUI.

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Playing career

Bertuzzi was selected in the first round (fifth overall) by the Guelph Storm in the 1991 Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Prioritization Selection. While Bertuzzi's future coach with the Cornwall Royals was unable to select him due to "maturity issues" and that he hadn't grown into his body yet, his future coach, Marc Crawford, declined on Bertuzzi during the draft; he's sincere regrets. Bertuzzi started his OHL career for Guelph in 1991–92, scoring 21 points in 42 games as a rookie. Brad Barton, the Storm's kicking opponent, was suspended for the last 15 games of the regular season due to his suspension. In 1992–93, he was ranked 23rd overall by the New York Islanders in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, rising to 58 points in 60 games. Bertuzzi is described by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau as a physical and strong player with good skating who checks hard and is offensively efficient in close proximity to the net.

In August 1993, he underwent surgery for chipped bones in his left elbow following his NHL draft. As a result, he was unable to participate in the Islanders' training camp in September and was returned to the OHL. He was playing for Guelph in his third season, scoring 28 goals and 82 points in 61 games. Bertuzzi applied for an Islanders' roster spot at his 1994 training camp, but he was cut back to his junior team after losing scoreless in three exhibition games.

He scored 119 points in his last run with Guelph in 1994–95, his fifth highest in the league. His 54 goals set a single-season team record, beating Mike Prokopec's record of two goals set the previous year. Bertuzzi and Jeff O'Neill, the Storm's forward tandem who finished fourth in league scoring, led the team to the best regular season record in the league. He continued his career by scoring a team-leading 33 points in 14 playoff games, leading to his loss to the Detroit Junior Red Wings in the OHL Finals. He spent four seasons with Guelph, ranking third all-time in career points with 280, behind O'Neill and Martin St. Pierre.

Bertuzzi and the Islanders had not signed a deal two years ago when he was first published. General manager Don Maloney made it clear that if Bertuzzi did not sign the draft by July 7, 1995 NHL Entry Draft pick him again if a deal cannot be reached by the stipulated deadline. The Islanders were able to commit Bertuzzi to a four-year, US$4.6 million contract a few days before the midnight deadline. Pat Morris' agent had reportedly wanted a similar contract to that of fellow Islanders prospect Brett Lindros – a five-year, $6.7 million contract that started the previous summer.

Bertuzzi, the team's top-performing forward, was crowned as the team's best-performing forward during training camp in September 1995. In a 4–4 tie with the Boston Bruins, he scored a wrap around goal against goaltender Blaine Lacher on his first appearance in NHL on October 7, 1995. Bertuzzi's rookie year ended with 18 goals and 39 points over 76 games, with igmund Pálffy and Travis Green. Bertuzzi scored 23 points in 64 games this season. In neither of his two full seasons with the club, the Islanders did not qualify for the playoffs, placing second-last in the Eastern Conference in 1995–96 and 1996–97.

Bertuzzi's playing style as a power forward prompted comparisons to former Islander Clark Gillies. Bertuzzi was hired by Gillies to personally mentor Bertuzzi. "You can't drive around like a Volkswagen" despite failing to meet high hopes from the club, Gillies once said of Bertuzzi, "If you're built like a freight train." When his offensive output decreased, he felt he was being placed on the team's hopes, but not quite sure about it. Milbury, who had previously served as the general manager of the Islanders, had demoted Bertuzzi to the Utah Grizzlies of the International Hockey League (IHL). He played 13 games in the minors and scored ten points before being called back to the NHL. He continued to score below his average as a rookie during the 1997-98 campaign. He was traded by the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for veteran forward Trevor Linden on February 6, 1998, alongside defenseman Bryan McCabe and a third-round pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft (Jarkko Ruutu). In preparations for the 1998 Winter Olympics, the contract was signed prior to the NHL's roster freeze.

Since their respective drafts in 1993, Bertuzzi and McCabe were both regarded as the future for New York. Although Milbury expressed regret for the fact that they had to trade McCabe, Bertuzzi and the club's links were strained. Bertuzzi, one of the company's graduates, observed that "things weren't working out [in New York]].

Bertuzzi's name was immediately evident in 22 games, leading to a whopping 15 points in 22 games after the trade. He dominated with 33 points over 74 games in 1997–98, combining his totals from New York. "He arrived as a youth player and was really curious about learning about the game," Canucks head coach Mike Keenan recalled his positive encounter with Bertuzzi upon his arrival in New York as positive: "He came as a young player and was very curious about learning about the game." Bertuzzi, a veteran of the Islanders, joined a struggling Vancouver team in his first two seasons; the team lost last in the Western Conference in his first two seasons.

Bertuzzi was limited to 32 games due to injuries, the first of which was a fractured tibia. After a leg punch by teammate Mattias hlund, he sustained the injury on November 1, 1998. He had a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during a game on March 5, 1999, and his season was overdued. In 1998-1999, he scored 8 goals and 16 points. Bertuzzi re-signed by the Canucks to a two-year contract in September 1999 during the offseason, becoming a restricted free agent. The Vancouver Sun announced that the transaction was worth less than $2 million.

Bertuzzi made a solid offensive contribution in 1999-2000, despite suffering from injury the previous season. As voted by the fans, he earned the team's Most Exciting Player Award at the end of the season. During his time with the Canucks from 2002 to 2004, he was recognized three times. In the meantime, the Canucks started to improve as a team, finishing four points out of a playoff spot in the West in 2000.

Bertuzzi's first NHL hat trick was recorded on the power play against San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov in a 6–3 victory on December 30, 2000. Bertuzzi had his second straight 25-goal season in 2000-01, earning 30 assists for 55 points, third in team scoring behind Näslund and Andrew Cassels. Despite his -18 plus-minus rating, this was still a team-worst. For the first time in five years, the Canucks continued to improve, qualifying for the post-season for the first time in five years. The Colorado Avalanche eliminated them in the first round of the West in the 2001 playoffs, finishing as the final and eighth seed. In his first NHL post-season appearance, Bertuzzi scored two goals and two assists in his first NHL post-season appearance. Bertuzzi filed for salary arbitration after first struggling to agree on a new deal with the Canucks. Both sides of the conflict were able to prevent arbitration by committing to a three-year contract on July 26, 2001.

Bertuzzi was suspended from the league for the first time because of his service to assist teammate Ed Jovanovski in a fight in the first month of the 2001-02 season. During a game against the Colorado Avalanche, losing coach Bob Hartley brought enforcer Scott Parker onto the ice as the extra attacker during a postponed penalty. Parker proceeded to physically engage Jovanovski, but Bertuzzi stepped down the bench to assist his colleague. Vancouver struggled with him out of the lineup, winning 3 games in the 10-game series. Bertuzzi played 15 games in a row, scoring 7 goals and 12 assists from January 3 to February 4, 2002, two months after returning from suspension. Petr Nedvn was the longest in Canuck history, with the streak tied for the longest in Canuck history. Canucks head coach Marc Crawford renamed Andrew Cassels with Brendan Morrison in a game on January 9, establishing what was considered by many to be the most efficient line combination in the league for many seasons. Bertuzzi had risen to prominence as a versatile power forward, with the ability to position himself in front of the net and with solid stickhandling skills. Bertuzzi's skills complement Näslund's goal-scoring and Morrison's playmaking skills, according to Canucks assistant coach Jack McIlhargey. After the city's commuter rail service of the same name, the three were dubbed the "West Coast Express" in Vancouver media.

Bertuzzi won his second hat-trick against the New York Rangers on March 19, 2002, making it his second appearance in the 2001–02 season. He scored his first two goals of the game against Dan Blackburn and his third in an empty net. Bertuzzi finished third in league scoring with 85 points, behind Näslund and Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla, despite missing ten games due to his suspension. His 1.18 points-per-game average ranked second in the NHL, behind Mario Lemieux, who appeared in 48 fewer games than Bertuzzi. He also raised his plus-minus rating by 39 points from the previous season, finishing with a career-high +21. Despite the fact that the Canucks were the league's top scoring team, they finished in the West for the 2002 playoffs, finishing eighth in their conference. In the first round, the Detroit Red Wings were eliminated in six games. Bertuzzi scored four points in the series.

Bertuzzi made his first NHL All-Star Game appearance in the following season. In the Western Conference's 6–5 victory over the East, he was joined by fellow Canucks Markus Näslund, defenseman Ed Jovanovski, and head coach Marc Crawford. He appeared on a line with Näslund and Peter Forsberg. He scored three goals against Ron Tugnutt in a game against the Dallas Stars earlier this season. He finished the season with career-highs of 46 goals (third in the league), 51 assists, and 97 points (fifth in the league). His 25 power play goals led the NHL and tied Pavel Bure for the Canucks' single-season record. Linemates Näslund and Morrison also set personal records with 104 and 71 points, respectively. Meanwhile, the Canucks emerged as a top team in the West. The Avalanche lost the Northwest Division title by a single point in the regular season and finished fourth seed in their conference. Vancouver defeated the St. Louis Blues in the first round after going down three games to a none in the first round. The Canucks lost their own three-games-to-one series lead and were eliminated in seven games after facing the Minnesota Wild. Bertuzzi had reportedly walked by the Xcel Energy Center box office and told Wild fans that they did not need their Game 6 tickets because Minnesota will be out before that time. In another on-ice incident, he skated by the opposing bench during Game 7 when the Canucks were winning 2–0, urging Wild players to "get [their] golf clubs." Bertuzzi failed to score in the playoffs despite his good regular season, winning 6 points in 14 games. Bertuzzi was called by Näslund to the NHL's first All-Star team in the off-season.

Bertuzzi's contract was the final year of his career, and the Canucks were able to secure a contract extension before the 2003–04 season. Bertuzzi signed a four-year, $27.8 million contract with the Canucks on October 23, 2003, despite Bertuzzi's agent, Pat Morris, who announced that negotiations would begin as the season began. The deal went into operation right away, extending the previous year on his previous work, and includes a $3 million signing bonus ($2.5 million paid in the first year and $500,000 in the second). For the third and fourth years, the agreement paid him $4.3 million for the first year, $6.633 million for the second year, and $6.933 million for the third and fourth years.

Bertuzzi was elected by league fans to the starting lineup of the NHL All-Star Game in January 2004. They were defeated by the East 6–4 by the Western Conference's head coach Marc Crawford, who was representing the Western Conference. When playing on a line with Näslund and Joe Sakic, Bertuzzi had two assists. Bertuzzi was suspended indefinitely by the NHL for punching Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore from behind and throwing his head against the ice during a game on March 8, 2004. Moore's retaliation of a blow on Näslund during a previous game was a revenge. He missed the remainder of the regular season and playoffs due to his suspension from 2003-2004, shooting 60 points in 69 games. Vancouver brought Bertuzzi to the team's top line with Matt Cooke and then lost to the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 2004 playoffs.

Bertuzzi returned to the Canucks in 2005-06 after the league suspended his playing ban. He scored 25 goals and 71 points, including two hat tricks against the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Islanders on November 13, 2005. Despite being ranked third in team scoring, Crawford has reminded that by the end of the season, Näslund and Bertuzzi had been eclipsed by Daniel and Henrik Sedin as the team's offensive leaders.

There was rumors that the Steve Moore case, which included assault charges and consistent media coverage, was negatively affecting his play. Fans of all sorts of hockey booed him on the road. In a 2008 interview, Näslund, a close friend of Bertuzzi's, expressed sympathy for him, saying, "It's still bothers me what Todd has to go through."

Beyond Bertuzzi's personal performance, the media speculated that the Moore incident had caused more of a distraction to the company as a whole. The Canucks had missed the playoffs for the first time in four years, despite being compounded by the city's situation. As such, general manager Dave Nonis made major changes to the Canucks' lineup during the off-season. Bertuzzi, as well as goaltender Alex Auld and defenseman Bryan Allen, were traded by the Florida Panthers in exchange for goaltender Roberto Luongo, defenceman Lukár, and a sixth-round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, according to Saergei Shirokov. Bertuzzi left the team seventh all-time franchise scoring leaders with 449 points after seven and a half seasons with the Canucks.

Bertuzzi's positive relationship with Panthers general manager Mike Keenan, who was his first coach in Vancouver, was instrumental in facilitating the transfer to Florida. Bertuzzi, who debuted with the Panthers on October 6, 2006, had a goal and three assists in their 8–3 victory over the Boston Bruins. He appeared in six more games for Florida, totaling seven points, before being sidelined with back spasms. Bertuzzi opted for surgery after being diagnosed with a herniated disc in early-November, extending his stay out of the game for five months. While recovering, the Panthers shipped him to the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline in exchange for forward prospect Shawn Matthias and conditional draft picks. Bertuzzi was in the last year of his contract, but there was no guarantee that he would return to Florida in the off-season.

Bertuzzi returned to action on March 22, 2007, starting with his new team in a 2–1 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In a 4–3 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars, he scored his first goal as a Red Wing eight days later. He sustained a neck injury that kept him out of the lineup for the final game of the regular season and the first two games of the 2007 playoffs on April 7. In a 15-game split between Florida and Detroit, he finished the season with 11 points in the 15 games split. The Red Wings advanced to the Western Conference Finals, losing in six games to the Anaheim Ducks, who went on to win the Stanley Cup in the playoffs. Bertuzzi scored 7 points in 16 playoff games.

Bertuzzi, the Anaheim Ducks' unrestricted free agent in the off-season, has agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract. Brian Burke, the Canucks' general manager during Bertuzzi's time in Vancouver, was signed to him. Bertuzzi had been reportedly in talks to re-sign with Detroit, but the club only wanted a one-year contract. In the Ducks' first game of the regular season, he scored a goal and an assist in a 3–2 shootout loss. He suffered a concussion and was suspended for 14 games in October and November 2007. Bertuzzi returned to the lineup for the Ducks' away game against the Canucks on November 27, his first NHL game in Vancouver since being traded away. The Ducks lost the game 4–0, and Canucks fans welcomed Bertuzzi warmly. He has scored 40 points with Anaheim in 68 contests over the season. The Ducks were cut in the first round four games to two by the Dallas Stars, and they are advancing to the 2008 playoffs as the reigning champions. Bertuzzi had two assists in six playoff games.

Several Ducks players were set to become free agents during the subsequent summer, including high-profile forward Corey Perry. Bertuzzi was placed on unconditional waivers with the intention of buying out the remaining year on his contract, requiring additional salary cap space to make space for defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who announced his return from another season. Burke denied that he "believe[d] [Bertuzzi] can still play at the NHL level,] and that the Ducks were only "handcuffed by [their] salary cap situation," despite Bertuzzi's purchase of Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi signed a one-year, $1.95 million contract with the Calgary Flames on July 7, 2008. He was reunited with Flames coach Mike Keenan after joining Calgary. Bertuzzi shifted jersey numbers from 4 to 7 in honor of his boyhood idol, Phil Esposito, before the 2008-09 season. Bertuzzi wore 44 in New York, Vancouver, and Detroit, as well as a 4, which he wore in Anaheim, were already taken in Calgary.

In a 5–4 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks, Bertuzzi scored his first goal with the Flames, deflecting a Dion Phaneuf shot. Though initial fan reaction to Bertuzzi was dismissive due to his time with the Canucks as well as his public image after the Steve Moore incident, he was eventually accepted in Calgary. He missed five games due to a back injury in January 2009. He was forced to return to work with a knee injury and undergone arthroscopic surgery to repair damaged cartilage on March 3, 2009. He returned in time for the 2009 playoffs, where the Flames were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round despite 11 games. He scored 44 points in 66 regular season games, while adding a goal and an assist in six playoff games.

Bertuzzi re-joined the Red Wings on August 18, 2009, after agreeing to a one-year deal with the club worth $1.5 million. In 2009–10, he scored 44 points (18 goals and 26 assists), placing him fifth in team scoring. Bertuzzi won a Game 4 victory over the San Jose Sharks in a career-high five-point contest (a goal and four assists). Bertuzzi posted a career-high 11 points in 12 games.

Bertuzzi's contract extension with the Red Wings began on June 16, 2010. He appeared in his 1,000th NHL game against the Minnesota Wild on February 20, 2011. Detroit defeated Detroit 2–1. Bertuzzi scored a shootout goal to help Detroit beat the game 2–1. He ranked seventh in team scoring with 45 points (16 goals and 29 assists) in 81 games this season. As the Red Wings were eliminated in the second round by the San Jose Sharks in the 2011 playoffs, he had 6 points (2 goals and 4 assists) over 11 games.

Bertuzzi re-signed with the Red Wings on February 23, 2012, totaling $4.15 million over two years. He appeared in seven games in the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 regular season due to injuries, earning three points, and being held pointless over six games in the playoffs. He appeared in 59 games and scored 16 points in the 2013-2014 season, but he was a healthy scratch 15 times; he missed one playoff game without a point.

During his time with Detroit, he received a hat from head coach Mike Babcock and colleagues for transforming his playing style to be more defensively responsible. Bertuzzi praised teammates Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, both strong two-way players in the league, for their contributions.

On January 9, 2015, he signed a professional tryout with the Ottawa Senators AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators in the hopes of a long-distance relationship in Ottawa. Bertuzzi was released from his professional tryout position with Binghamton on January 21, 2015, after posting no points and a minus-3 rating in his two games with the Senators. He later resigned that year.

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