Former Red Wings Forward Making Comeback at Age 50

The Allan Cup was once second only to the Stanley Cup in terms of hockey honors, and that fact intrigues former Detroit Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi.

So much so that the uncle of former Detroit winger Tyler Bertuzzi is coming out of retirement at the age of 50 to help the senior Cambridge Hornets make a bid for the fabled trophy.

“I think it’s a little like riding a bike,” Bertuzzi said at a press conference announcing his comeback. “There’s going to be a lot of younger guys, fast guys.

“I respect the league and I respect what they’re doing. I feel healthy enough to play, and I would love to help them win a championship. It’s going to be a fun process.”

Bertuzzi thinks he can provide a veteran presence to his younger teammates.

“I think with me it’s about sharing what I know about hockey, what I’ve been through,” Bertuzzi said.  I’ve been on a lot of teams and in a lot of dressing rooms on great teams with great players.”

Bertuzzi hasn’t played pro hockey since 2015. That season, he was suiting up for the AHL Belleville Senators. He was hoping to convince their parent club, the NHL Ottawa Senators, to give him a shot. However, after two pointless games, Bertuzzi was given his release from a pro tryout.

Bertuzzi Was Twice With Red Wings

Bertuzzi saw action in 1,159 NHL games between 1996 and 2014. He accounted for 314 goals and 459 assists. Bertuzzi’s best season saw him collect 46-51-97 totals with the Vancouver Canucks in 2002-03.

Readying for a playoff run, the Red Wings acquired Bertuzzi from the Florida Panthers in an NHL trade deadline deal during the 2006-07 season. He was part of the Detroit squad that reached the Western Conference final that spring.

Todd. Bertuzzi. 🔥🔥🔥#TBT by: @stjoes_health pic.twitter.com/TIctOBksOn

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 9, 2020

The Wings lost to the Anaheim Ducks that season, and it was the Ducks who would sign Bertuzzi in the summer of 2007. However, he would rejoin the Red Wings as a UFA in 2009 and play his final five NHL seasons in Detroit.

It started well. Bertuzzi would account for 18, 16, and 14 goals in the first three seasons of his second Detroit stint. However, there would be just 11 goals over the next two campaigns and he was let go following the 2013-14 season.