Tyler Bertuzzi says he’s meaner than uncle, Todd
by Helene St. James, USA TODAY Sports The challenge is on: Come September, an older Bertuzzi and a younger Bertuzzi have something on the line.
yler Bertuzzi, fresh off being drafted in the second round by the Detroit Red Wings last month, will get his first experience of a Red Wings camp on Wednesday, when the team’s annual development camp gets under way in Traverse City, Mich. The real deal comes in two months, when Bertuzzi will be a part of the prospects camp that will overlap with the main camp for the regulars, which includes Bertuzzi’s uncle Todd.
Born two decades apart, almost to the day, Todd Bertuzzi, 38, is winding down his NHL career, while Tyler Bertuzzi, 18, is still years from starting his. What attracted the Red Wings to Tyler is his reputation as an outstanding agitator, someone so gritty that he has been described as even tougher as his uncle, who was considered the premier power forward in the NHL a decade ago.
Tyler wasn’t expected to go as high as he did — second round, 58th overall — because he missed about two months with a whiplash injury. That limited Tyler to 43 games, which saw him produce 13 goals and 22 points, along with 68 penalty minutes for the Guelph Storm in the OHL. The Red Wings considered his strong finish to the season — along with his reputation as a pest — a good reason to nab him before he fell into the third round.
That, in short, led to a pleasantly surprised Tyler 10 days ago. He watched the draft while at home in Sudbury, Ontario.
“I was so excited when I heard my name,” Tyler Bertuzzi said. “It was an honor to be drafted so high, and then by the Detroit Red Wings — it was awesome. My uncle has told me everything about what a great organization it is.”
Tyler is the son of Todd’s sister, Angela. Todd Bertuzzi also played for Guelph as a teenager. Storm coach Scott Walker gets a good deal of credit for Tyler’s success. He “has taught me a lot about how to be an agitator and how to just let me play my game, and be good at it,” Tyler said.
