Gone fishing with Tyler Bertuzzi

In 2023, Sudbury native Tyler Bertuzzi signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Bertuzzi has grow to be well-known and revered for his tenacious work ethic, willingness to get into the soiled areas of the ice and need to do no matter it takes to win video games. He’s the form of participant many would name a throwback to the nice previous days.

What most won’t know, although, is that if there’s an exercise that Bertuzzi loves as a lot as hockey, it is perhaps fishing. He shares his ideas.

OOD: Hockey followers are acquainted with Tyler Bertuzzi, the hockey participant. Inform us in regards to the particular person.
TB: I’m a fairly easy-going man. I grew up in northern Ontario, simply enjoying hockey day-after-day. Within the summers it was on the water, both fishing or simply being on the boat. Within the winter it was snowmobiling and enjoying hockey. I did love ice fishing developing up too. Now I’ve just a little woman and a new child son, so fishing, there isn’t a lot time for that anyextra, however I take what I can get as I grow to be extra of a household man. General, I simply attempt to take pleasure in day-after-day.

OOD: Rising up in Sudbury, that might have been the place you bought into fishing. Take us again to when you fell in love with it.
TB: I began at a really younger age. My Dad was the one which form of received me into it. We at all times lived on a lake too. Whether or not it was my mother or my dad residing on a lake, or a whole lot of my (prolonged) household residing on lakes, there was loads of alternative each time we went to somebody’s home. There was at all times a line within the water…it was form of our factor rising up.

OOD: With out giving freely your spots, was there a selected place you liked to fish?
TB: We might at all times drive 20 minutes or so to the Vermilion River. That’s what I bear in mind most. Being younger as a child we’d go and at all times pull over on the similar spot and fish underneath the identical bridge. We might at all times catch smallmouth and typically be fortunate sufficient to catch some walleye.

OOD: Having spent most of your profession with Detroit, had been you capable of spend time in and round that space performing some fishing?
TB: Proper earlier than coaching camp we’d at all times are available a few weeks earlier than and do some fishing. My final couple of years, we lived in Michigan (full time) so we had been capable of go a pair of occasions on Lake St. Clair, which is the place I caught my first muskie, which was actually cool. And the smallmouth fishing was actually good, so you’ll be able to hammer these too.

OOD: If somebody mentioned to you tomorrow, Tyler, give me your prime three bucket checklist fishing experiences, what would they be and why?
TB: I might keep in Ontario and go someplace for like a fly-in. Possibly Thunder Bay method, there’s some good fishing up there. A few years in the past I went to Montana and did some fly fishing, so I believe I would wish to go someplace like Wyoming or Colorado for some fly fishing, which might be cool.

OOD: Are there similarities within the feeling you get once you catch an enormous fish or rating an enormous objective?
TB: I might say sure. That first cut up second is definitely an analogous feeling. With fishing, you need to wait just a little bit longer to rejoice as a result of someoccasions you don’t know what it’s instantly. Whether it is large, it might be something, in order that anticipation is big. Scoring a objective, it occurs so fast, however the feeling of accomplishment could be very related.

OOD: What would you say to somebody who desires to get into fishing, however wants just a little push?
TB: The largest factor is simply getting out, whether or not it’s with household or associates. And even alone to simply clear your head. It’s a nice interest to have.

OOD: What was it like capturing an episode of Angler & Hunter Tv with Mike Miller final September?
TB: I didn’t actually have expectations. I assumed we’d catch a pair fish, however I believe I caught 10 salmon and nothing was underneath 15 kilos. It was loopy. It truly is the good fishing I’ve ever finished. Simply the ability of that fish. I had by no means caught a salmon earlier than, particularly on a light-medium spinning reel. It was so cool.

OOD: Any expertise with searching?
TB: No, I didn’t have any household actually into searching once I was rising up, however one factor I’m working on proper now myself is moving into it. I simply received my licence, and I’m attempting to get into it now. I’ve received a bow and that’s my subsequent journey.

ODD: Many hockey insiders had been shocked when the information broke that you simply had signed with the Leafs. What went into your resolution to signal with Toronto?
TB: Me and agent Todd Reynolds had been speaking again and forth about it. Final season, I received traded from Detroit to Boston and received my first playoff experience, in order that was an enormous factor behind my thoughts. I needed to be on a group that might have an opportunity at successful the Stanley Cup. On the finish of the day, this was near dwelling, a superb group, and simply felt prefer it was a superb match.

OOD: Is it honest to say what would represent a successful season for you guys is, not essentially a Cup win, however positively not less than a Cup run?
TB: Yeah, positively. Everyone has received the identical take a look at in entrance of them and similar alternative. That’s the objective. You bought to get to the playoffs after which you’re employed from there.

Just a few extra questions

Q: Favorite fish to catch?
A: Bass

Q: Favorite fish to eat?
A: Walleye

Q: Spinning or baitcasting?
A: Spinning

Q: Favorite lure?
A: Most likely an X-Rap

Q: Lake, or river fishing?
A: Lake