In 2023, Sudbury native Tyler Bertuzzi signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Bertuzzi has become well known and respected for his tenacious work ethic, willingness to get into the dirty areas of the ice and desire to do whatever it takes to win games. He’s the kind of player many would call a throwback to the good old days.
What most might not know, though, is that if there’s an activity that Bertuzzi loves as much as hockey, it might be fishing. He shares his thoughts.
OOD: Hockey fans are familiar with Tyler Bertuzzi, the hockey player. Tell us about the person.
TB: I am a pretty easy-going guy. I grew up in northern Ontario, just playing hockey every day. In the summers it was on the water, either fishing or just being on the boat. In the winter it was snowmobiling and playing hockey. I did love ice fishing growing up too. Now I have a little girl and a newborn son, so fishing, there isn’t much time for that anymore, but I take what I can get as I become more of a family man. Overall, I just try to enjoy every day.
OOD: Growing up in Sudbury, that would have been where you got into fishing. Take us back to when you fell in love with it.
TB: I started at a very young age. My Dad was the one that kind of got me into it. We always lived on a lake too. Whether it was my mom or my dad living on a lake, or a lot of my (extended) family living on lakes, there was plenty of opportunity whenever we went to someone’s house. There was always a line in the water…it was kind of our thing growing up.
OOD: Without giving away your spots, was there a particular place you loved to fish?
TB: We would always drive 20 minutes or so to the Vermilion River. That is what I remember most. Being young as a kid we would go and always pull over at the same spot and fish under the same bridge. We would always catch smallmouth and sometimes be lucky enough to catch some walleye.
OOD: Having spent most of your career with Detroit, were you able to spend time in and around that area doing some fishing?
TB: Right before training camp we would always come in a couple of weeks before and do some fishing. My last couple of years, we lived in Michigan (full time) so we were able to go a couple of times on Lake St. Clair, which is where I caught my first muskie, which was really cool. And the smallmouth fishing was really good, so you can hammer those too.
OOD: If someone said to you tomorrow, Tyler, give me your top three bucket list fishing experiences, what would they be and why?
TB: I would stay in Ontario and go somewhere for like a fly-in. Maybe Thunder Bay way, there’s some good fishing up there. A couple of years ago I went to Montana and did some fly fishing, so I think I would want to go somewhere like Wyoming or Colorado for some fly fishing, which would be cool.
OOD: Are there similarities in the feeling you get when you catch a big fish or score a big goal?
TB: I would say yes. That first split second is definitely a similar feeling. With fishing, you have to wait a little bit longer to celebrate because sometimes you don’t know what it is right away. If it is big, it could be anything, so that anticipation is huge. Scoring a goal, it happens so quick, but the feeling of accomplishment is very similar.
OOD: What would you say to someone who wants to get into fishing, but needs a little push?
TB: The biggest thing is just getting out, whether it is with family or friends. Or even alone to just clear your head. It is a great hobby to have.
OOD: What was it like shooting an episode of Angler & Hunter Television with Mike Miller last September?
TB: I didn’t really have expectations. I thought we would catch a couple fish, but I think I caught 10 salmon and nothing was under 15 pounds. It was crazy. It actually is the coolest fishing I have ever done. Just the power of that fish. I had never caught a salmon before, especially on a light-medium spinning reel. It was so cool.
OOD: Any experience with hunting?
TB: No, I didn’t have any family really into hunting when I was growing up, but one thing I am working on right now myself is getting into it. I just got my licence, and I am trying to get into it now. I’ve got a bow and that is my next adventure.
ODD: Many hockey insiders were shocked when the news broke that you had signed with the Leafs. What went into your decision to sign with Toronto?
TB: Me and agent Todd Reynolds were talking back and forth about it. Last season, I got traded from Detroit to Boston and got my first playoff experience, so that was a big thing in the back of my mind. I wanted to be on a team that would have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup. At the end of the day, this was close to home, a good team, and just felt like it was a good fit.
OOD: Is it fair to say what would constitute a successful season for you guys is, not necessarily a Cup win, but definitely at least a Cup run?
TB: Yeah, definitely. Everybody has got the same test in front of them and same opportunity. That’s the goal. You got to get to the playoffs and then you work from there.
A few more questions
Q: Favourite fish to catch?
A: Bass
Q: Favourite fish to eat?
A: Walleye
Q: Spinning or baitcasting?
A: Spinning
Q: Favourite lure?
A: Probably an X-Rap
Q: Lake, or river fishing?
A: Lake
Q: Ice fishing, or open water
A: Open water
Q: Lake Ontario, or Lake Michigan?
A: Michigan
Bertuzzi’s one-year deal with the Maple Leafs will keep him in the blue and white through the end of the 2023-24 season. He was the team’s prized free agent addition last summer. A three-time 20-plus goal scorer, who notched a career-high 30 in 2021-22 with the Red Wings, Bertuzzi is expected to spend most of his time flanking the wing on one of the Leafs top two lines this season.
[Editor’s Note: Tyler Bertuzzi signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2024.]
Originally published in Ontario OUT of DOORS’ Fishing Annual 2024
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