Tyler-Bertuzzi.jpg

Tyler Bertuzzi led the Guelph Storm with 10 goals in 18 playoff games last season.

(AP File Photo)

Tyler Bertuzzi is doing his best to prove that the critics were wrong.

Some fans weren't shy about expressing their displeasure last year after the Detroit Red Wings selected the feisty forward in the second round of the NHL draft.

They couldn't understand why the Red Wings used such a high draft pick on a guy who had 19 goals in two OHL seasons and was ranked No. 257 by NHL Central Scouting.

Was it as a favor to Todd Bertuzzi, Tyler's uncle who has spent six of his 18 NHL seasons in Detroit? Did general manager Ken Holland and the scouting staff simply blow it? Or perhaps the Red Wings saw something nobody else did?

The correct answer could be No. 3 because a little more than a year after being drafted by the Red Wings, Bertuzzi is looking like somebody who has a future in the organization.

Bertuzzi had nine goals in only 29 games for the Guelph Storm last season before missing the second half of the season with a head injury that had bothered him the previous season.

He came back in the playoffs and helped the Storm reach the Memorial Cup championship game before losing to the Edmonton Oil Kings. Bertuzzi led Guelph with 10 goals in 18 playoff games and bagged five in the Memorial Cup to lead all scorers.

"It was pretty awesome," said the 6-foot-1, 178-pound left winger. "It was a good experience. I just had a lot of confidence (in the Memorial Cup) after the playoffs. I went in knowing I could make an impact.

"I scored some big goals for the team."

Bertuzzi, 19, admitted he heard some of the criticism when the Red Wings made him 58th player taken in the 2013 draft.

"A little bit," he said, "but whatever. It doesn't matter. It doesn't really matter. It's how you get to where you want to be."

Bertuzzi has one more season remaining in Guelph but he won't go back to juniors before trying to help the Red Wings successfully defend their prospects tournament title beginning Friday night against the St. Louis Blues at Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City.

The Red Wings were pleased with his performance last season.

"Tyler had a very interesting year," said director of player development Jiri Fischer. "He had a concussion against Sarnia. He got into a fight. He finished the game. I happened to be at the game. He played real well.

"After that, he started having whiplash, neck (and) head issues, and he was out for months. Things were not getting better fast enough and he was getting antsy to play. He came to Detroit, got reevaluated, saw a specialist, put on a plan.

"When he went back in the playoffs, they had the most dominant team in the OHL. He was outstanding. He scored, forechecked hard, killed penalties. He was very good. In the Memorial Cup, he was the leading goal scorer. He had a very good season production-wise."

Bertuzzi's 19 goals in the regular season and playoffs last season matched his entire output for his first two years in Guelph.

In 2011-12, he had six goals and 11 assists in 61 games before getting 13 goals and nine assists in 43 games the following year.

"I was a role type of player," said Bertuzzi, who is ranked No. 17 among Red Wings prospects. "The past few years I've been a grinder, done everything I could to stay in the OHL. My third year, I was concentrating on trying to create offense and score a few goals. It was a lot more fun.

"We're going to be losing a lot of guys (this season) so I'm going to be on the first line or second line. I can create some offense. Having that good year last year, I'm going to go into camp with a lot of confidence."

He'll also be trying to do the thing that first impressive the Red Wings – playing with an edge, being abrasive and getting under the opposition's skin.

Like his famous uncle, Bertuzzi embraces the physical aspect of the game and isn't shy about dropping his gloves although he's cut back in that department after fighting 15 times in his first season with Guelph.

Bertuzzi enjoys playing the role of villain in opposing rinks.

"I love that part of the game," he said. "It gets other teams off their game. Even fans. If I score, you put it back in their face."

Bertuzzi wants to improve his skating, add strength and continue to develop as offensively before beginning his pro career next year.

"Just try to get some points to show the Red Wings I can play in big games," he said.

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