DETROIT – There was a time when Tyler Bertuzzi felt pressure to live up to his family name on the ice.
The 20-year-old nephew of a former power forward who never backed down from a challenge during 18 NHL seasons, the younger Bertuzzi used to drop the gloves with regularity in the Ontario Hockey League.
But over the last few years, Bertuzzi has retooled his game, becoming more of a scorer than a fighter. Sure, fighting had its thrills, he said, but it also took a toll on him physically.
“I think after a few of my injuries I needed to put my game into a different level,” the young Bertuzzi said.