Blackhawks’ Tyler Bertuzzi Making a Big Impact to Start the 2025-26 Season

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When the Chicago Blackhawks signed Tyler Bertuzzi in the 2024 offseason, it came with mixed reviews. After all, the now 30-year-old has always been a bit of a streaky player. He also inked a four-year contract with an annual cap hit of $5.5 million. This was the longest term and the most money Blackhawks’ general manager Kyle Davidson gave to any the free agents he signed in that offseason. Expectations were high for Bertuzzi, and he didn’t exactly live up to them in his first season with the team.

But now in his second season, Bertuzzi is off to a very positive start. Something seems different. He appears more committed and motivated, and he’s doing a lot of good things on the ice. Let’s take a closer look at Bertuzzi’s contributions and positive impact.

Bertuzzi’s Streaky Start to Blackhawks’ Tenure

As already mentioned, Bertuzzi was a free agent addition brought on to help the Blackhawks take another step in their rebuild. To be clear, Bertuzzi wasn’t the only reason it didn’t work out that way. But the left winger had a slow start to his first season with the Blackhawks, only posting two goals and having a minus-6 rating through the first 10 games.

Related – Should the Blackhawks Be Concerned With Bertuzzi’s Slow Starts?

Bertuzzi did go on to tally 23 goals last season, which was tied with Connor Bedard for second on the team. Furthermore, his 46 points was fourth on the team. But there were numerous times throughout the season where he just seemed to disappear. At one point in late January through early February, Bertuzzi went seven games with no production. He then had six assists over the next six games. He followed that up with five more games without a point.

You get the idea. The consistency just wasn’t there.

The Blashill/Bertuzzi Connection

This season already seems headed in a more positive direction. Through his first 13 games, Bertuzzi has already compiled six goals and 10 points. I think coaching might have something to do with this; specifically head coach Jeff Blashill.

Tyler Bertuzzi - Red Wings
Tyler Bertuzzi and Jeff Blashill’s history goes back to when they were both with the Detroit Red Wings’ organization. – Dec. 18, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Blashill was the coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins when Bertuzzi started his pro career in the AHL, as well as when he moved up to the Red Wings’ organization. They overlapped there six seasons altogether. When Blashill was hired on with the Blackhawks, Bertuzzi shared his thoughts on the hire, and the kind of coach Blashill is.

He likes to preach simplicity, north-south, play hard and obviously plays will be made when they’re available. If you play hard for him, he’s an easy coach to get along with. Obviously you’ll get your chances to make your plays and do all the other things, but the three base things are probably work hard, play simple and go out there and do your best. If you make a mistake, do your best to get it back and give it 100%.

There’s obviously a familiarity there, and an established trust between player and coach. Bertuzzi was essentially ushered into the league by Blashill; it was the first thing he was ever exposed to at the pro level. He further expounded, “He helped me big time kind of carve out a little career.”

With that in mind, it makes sense that he would embrace it again.

Bertuzzi’s Role With the Blackhawks

Another thing that’s impressed those close to the organization is that Blashill looks at the strengths of his players and has given each of them a specific role with the team. He’s then outlined clear-cut instructions on just how to fill that role successfully. Here’s more on this from Tony Granato, a former player and coach who is now a Blackhawks analyst for NBC Sports Chicago.

So what exactly is Bertuzzi’s role? Well, what he’s good at of course! And that’s to get to the net and cause havoc, to be a pest. Score those back door greasy goals, provide screens and just make the goalies’ lives miserable.

Related – Blackhawks’ Tyler Bertuzzi Needs to Embrace Mayhem Amid Scoring Drought

The wily veteran scored a hat trick against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 6. Two of the goals were right in his wheelhouse, back door tap ins in front of the net. Here’s the first goal.

Said Blashill after the game of Bertuzzi’s success,  

He’s great on that back post. He’s really learned over the years how to build a wall in that back post. You know, people shoot for it (that spot) and they go in. It’s a great way to score. Bert for me has been great all season and he had a good one tonight.

An extension of this role is for Bertuzzi to take his talents to the power play. He’s been on the top power play unit all season long, and has been effective there. He leads the team with three goals on the man advantage, and his four power play points is tied with Andre Burakovsky second place.

Here’s Bertuzzi’s power play goal from that was part of his hat trick against the Canucks.

It’s obvious Bertuzzi is comfortable with his role on the team. And why wouldn’t he be? It’s a role he excels in because it plays to his strengths.

Bertuzzi’s Impact With His Teammates

On Oct. 28, the Blackhawks took on the Ottawa Senators. Bertuzzi had actually missed the previous contest with an undisclosed injury. Apparently he was a little banged up, and it was determined a few days off would be the best course of action. But this didn’t stop the veteran from giving it his all in this contest. He wasn’t happy with the treatment he and his teammates gotten throughout the game by Nick Cousins, and decided to take matters into his own hands.

Blashill’s comments on this after the game were quite telling about the kind of teammate Bertuzzi is.  

I’ve been around Tyler a long time. Tyler is a foxhole guy, man. I’ll take him all day, every day, on any team I’ve ever coached. He’s a foxhole guy, and you want him in your foxhole. And he’ll stick up for himself, stick up for his teammates. He kind of embodies what we want to be as a group. So it was honestly really good to have him back. It was good to have him in. And he’s a big piece of what we want to be here. And I’ve been really, really impressed with him and his start and what he’s done and his approach. Again, I’ve known him a long time and he’s been dialed in this year, for sure.

Since the end of last season and for most of this season so far, Bertuzzi has been on a line with Frank Nazar and Teuvo Teravainen. Ahead of the Blackhawks’ home opener on Oct. 11, Nazar talked about what makes this line work.

I think we just have a lot of great chemistry, just reading each other and playing off each other. I try to bring a lot of speed and attack on the line and try to push guys back. And they’re really good with the puck, at making plays and putting pucks in good areas. So I think that they’re just two really smart hockey players, and they make it easy for me to just go out there and be myself. So they’re really fun to play with, and it’s been working pretty well.

Again, Nazar talks about roles again; his being to bring speed and attack to the table. The top two lines have remained relatively consistent so far, which gives the players the advantage of learning each other’s tendencies. But it seems like everyone knows Bertuzzi’s tendencies. Said defenseman Louis Crevier after a goal he scored against the Senators on Oct. 28, “I saw Bert going to his usual spot, like back door. I was trying to chuck a puck there.” In this scenario Bertuzzi provided the screen for Crevier’s goal.

To quote Blashill one last time, “When you look throughout the course of the year, Bert has really competed. He’s worked. He’s been on pucks. I think he’s a guy you appreciate more from ice level than you might from up top. His skating doesn’t always look great. But man, he wins pucks. That’s kind of what he’s always been for me.”

Related – 3 Takeaways From the Blackhawks’ 5-2 Victory Over the Canucks

Time will tell whether Bertuzzi can continue to make this kind of an impact moving forward. But a lot of things seem to be aligned for him, and the team for that matter, to set them up for some sustained success.

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