​The Red Wings Organization Adds Another Bertuzzi is the headline that began circulating on Detroit Hockey Now, signaling the latest arrival of Bertuzzi bloodlines into Detroit’s hockey ecosystem. The piece notes that Tag Bertuzzi, a forward who stands as the latest member of the Bertuzzi family to join the Detroit organization, has signed a one-year contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s premier American Hockey League affiliate. Tag, a 25-year-old forward, follows in the footsteps of his relatives who have carved out notable paths in professional hockey, including his uncle Todd Bertuzzi and his cousin Tyler Bertuzzi, both of whom spent significant portions of their careers with the Red Wings and the organization’s broader hockey network.
Tag Bertuzzi’s new deal places him on the Griffins’ roster for the coming season, adding depth to Detroit’s pipeline and giving him the opportunity to refine his game in the AHL while pursuing a potential future call-up to the NHL level. In assessing his career to date, Bertuzzi has spent parts of six seasons as a professional. Most recently, he played 14 games with the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate, during the 2023-24 season. He also contributed 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) and 23 penalty minutes across 38 games for the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL, highlighting his ability to contribute offensively while competing at multiple professional levels.
Across four AHL seasons spanning 2022 through 2026, the younger Bertuzzi has recorded a modest scoring tally, posting one assist and accumulating six penalty minutes over 30 games split among several organizations: the Charlotte Checkers (2022-23), the Hartford Wolf Pack (2023-24), the Belleville Senators (2023-24), and Utica (2024-26). Meanwhile, his ECHL production has been steadier, with 130 points (62 goals, 68 assists) and 99 penalty minutes in 170 regular-season games since 2022-23. The Vancouver, British Columbia native enjoyed a standout ECHL season in 2022-23, tallying a career-high 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists) in 64 contests, underscoring his scoring ability and his potential to rise through the ranks.
Before stepping into professional hockey, Tag Bertuzzi spent four seasons in major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League. He played for the Guelph Storm (2017-19), the Hamilton Bulldogs (2018-20), and the Flint Firebirds (2021-22). Notably, Todd and Tyler Bertuzzi also spent time in the OHL, including stints with Guelph, before beginning their NHL careers. Over his 191 career OHL games, Tag accumulated 112 points (53 goals, 59 assists) and 98 penalty minutes, adding nine points (five goals, four assists) in 20 postseason appearances. His best junior season came in 2019-20 with Hamilton, when he posted 47 points (25 goals, 22 assists) in 57 games, illustrating his scoring instincts and playmaking capability that he hopes to translate to professional hockey.
The football-like path of the Bertuzzis in Detroit’s system is one that fans and analysts have followed with interest. Tyler Bertuzzi, who played for the Griffins from 2014 to 2018 and helped the organization capture its Calder Cup in 2016-17, went on to spend seven seasons with the Red Wings and even scored 30 goals for Detroit in the 2021-22 season. He later moved on to the Chicago Blackhawks after his tenure with Detroit. In a separate thread of the family’s hockey history, Todd Bertuzzi joined the Wings for a first stint that began in a 2007 trade deadline deal and later returned to Detroit from 2009-10 through 2013-14. Todd Burtuzzi’s professional arc included an 18-goal season with the Red Wings in 2009-10, and today he has pursued a coaching career, including leading the Sutherland Cup champion Cambridge Redhawks as their head coach.
Tag Bertuzzi’s signing with the Grand Rapids Griffins marks a new chapter in the Bertuzzi family’s long association with Detroit hockey. The Griffins provide a vital environment for growth, development, and potential NHL advancement, and Bertuzzi’s presence strengthens Detroit’s farm system as the organization continues to cultivate and evaluate its next generation of players. Detroit Hockey Now will continue to track Tag Bertuzzi’s progress with the Griffins and report on how he adapts to the AHL level, how his game evolves, and whether his journey will eventually bring him back to the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings or another organization.
The post Red Wings Organization Adds Another Bertuzzi appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.