In the early hours of July 1, it was announced that forward Tyler Bertuzzi was anticipated to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks when free agency officially started at 11 AM CT. If you were a fan of the team, you were in for a surprise.
Seven further players were brought in after Bertuzzi, the team’s first free agent signing (4 years, $5.5 million AAV), was inked. He wasn’t a “huge” splash, but for the time being Chicago needed a big splash, and he was it. It makes right, therefore, to kick off our “Meet the New Blackhawks” summer series with him.
The Blackhawks Acquired Their Enforcer
Two characteristics about Bertuzzi are that he is a strong two-way player and a pain in the ass for opponents to play against. He was acquired by the Boston Bruins in March 2023 to aid in their Stanley Cup drive after spending seven years with the Detroit Red Wings. Ironically, this happened in the midst of injuries to Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall, who are now all teammates once more. With Boston, he performed admirably, scoring 10 points in seven postseason games and 16 points in 21 regular season games. He was hoping to negotiate a longer-term contract by summer 2023, but it didn’t work out, so he signed a one-year agreement with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite some production problems, he managed 43 points in 80 games throughout his time in Toronto, including four points in seven postseason games.
Bertuzzi performs admirably. He can put the puck in the net, is a power-play threat, and is a tough guy who gets under people’s skin—basically everything the Blackhawks needed last season. He said he is trying to contribute enthusiasm, passion, dedication, and hard effort to the club during his first news conference with the Blackhawks. He also mentioned being tough on the forecheck and making room for his teammates. Davidson stated that he wanted to change the narrative and that he didn’t want teams to take it personally. Bertuzzi and other players can definitely help with it.
The “Big Game” Player, Bertuzzi
Analyzing Bertuzzi’s record reveals why clubs, particularly those in the playoffs, are eager to have him on staff. In April, former Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said, “Adding a guy like Tyler to your team, if you’re the Toronto Maple Leafs, I can just speak from my experience, you’re adding a guy who’s got an every-game competitiveness to him.” Bertuzzi’s winning history speaks volumes, according to a story from Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. He won the OHL Championship with the Guelph Storm and the Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League, during which he was named MVP of the playoffs. You never have to be concerned about his possible absence that evening. Every night, he will compete and show up. Tyler Bertuzzi of “The Maple Leafs” was destined to play at pivotal moments: “He doesn’t like to lose” – The Athletic – 04/03/2024)
His work ethic is in line with what Luke Richardson, the head coach, is looking for in his team. Another thing that struck me from Bertuzzi’s news conference was his statement that the Blackhawks can be pleased of their performance as long as they play hard and give it their all each and every night, despite the fact that they are a young team and are rebuilding. That’s everything that supporters of the Chicago teams want to see. Regardless of the rankings, if they perform to the best of their abilities, they will easily win over the city. Having that mentality around the room might help the team since winning habits also have to begin somewhere.
With 62 points in 68 games in 2021–21 in Detroit, Bertuzzi had a career year, but it’s a positive that he can often score 40 points or more. He will probably play on the top line with Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev, two guys whose 43 points from the previous season rank third on the Blackhawks.
In theory, he is a wonderful match for the Blackhawks, lending skill and, as legendary Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving put it, “snot” to an expanding squad. It’s also thrilling that Nick Foligno was a major factor in Bertuzzi’s decision to join with the squad since players respect his opinions. Although some may be alarmed by some of the difficulties he encountered the previous season, which resulted in him bouncing around Toronto’s lineup, Chicago is taking a decent chance. The Hawks need that kind of success, which comes from having Bertuzzi play at his peak.
In addition, if he plays as projected, he and Bedard could be able to assist the Blackhawks return to the postseason as soon as possible. “He was made to play in big games,” as Siegel put it in the headline of his piece. Even better, he expressed excitement at his news conference about the “awesome opportunity” to do so in the Windy City, and Chicago sure could use it.
