Todd Bertuzzi

Lore & Background

Todd Bertuzzi arrived in Vancouver on February 6, 1998, traded from the New York Islanders along with Bryan McCabe and a third-round pick for Trevor Linden. He immediately began producing, tallying 15 points in 22 games after the trade. In 1999–2000, returning from a torn ACL that ended his previous season, he emerged as one of the Canucks' best offensive contributors, finishing with 25 goals (second on the team to Markus Näslund) and 50 points. At the end of that season, he received the team's Most Exciting Player Award, as voted by the fans—a distinction he received three more times from 2002 to 2004.

On December 30, 2000, he recorded his first career NHL hat trick, all three goals on the power play against San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov in a 6–3 win. In 2000–01, he recorded a second consecutive 25-goal season, adding 30 assists for 55 points, third in team scoring behind Näslund and Andrew Cassels. The Canucks qualified for the post-season for the first time in five years, and Bertuzzi scored two goals and two assists over four games in his first NHL playoff appearance.

In the first month of the 2001–02 season, he received an automatic 10-game suspension (forfeiting $118,557 in salary) after leaving the bench to help teammate Ed Jovanovski in a fight during a game against the Colorado Avalanche. His playing style as a power forward drew comparisons to former Islander Clark Gillies, who was hired to personally mentor Bertuzzi during his time in New York.

Reader's Guide

To understand Todd Bertuzzi in Vancouver, start with the numbers: 25 goals in 1999–2000, another 25 in 2000–01, NHL first team All-Star in 2003. But the stats only tell part of the story. Watch the tape of December 30, 2000—his first career hat trick, all three on the power play against Evgeni Nabokov. Watch how the crowd reacted.

That was the Bertuzzi Vancouver loved: a power forward who could score, hit, and fight, all in the same shift. He was the player teammates looked to when the game got heavy. He was the one who'd leave the bench to help Ed Jovanovski, even if it cost him 10 games and $118,557. He was the one who, after a torn ACL in March 1999, came back the next season and led the team in goals behind Näslund.

The Canucks finished last in the West in his first two seasons after the trade, but by 2001 they were in the playoffs. Bertuzzi was part of that climb. His 'freak out'—the arms-wide, jersey-grabbing howl—became a ritual at the Pacific Coliseum. It was raw, unpolished, and exactly what a rebuilding team needed.

The March 2004 incident with Steve Moore changed everything, but for five seasons, Bertuzzi was the emotional center of the Vancouver Canucks.