DETROIT - If you met Tyler Bertuzzi on the street, it wouldn't be difficult to figure out what he does for a living.
"He just looks like a hockey player, with the missing teeth and the long hair," Luke Witkowski said of his Detroit Red Wings teammate.
Bertuzzi is a bit of a throwback, in appearance and style of play. In a league that has gravitated toward speed and finesse, Bertuzzi crashes and bangs like a grinder but has the skill and hockey sense to play on a top line.
"That's what I like the most about him, he's got the rare combination of grit and smarts," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said.