Former NHLer Todd Bertuzzi to play for senior AAA team in 2025-26
Todd Betuzzi is returning to the ice for another season of competitive hockey.
While the 50-year-old hasn’t played professionally since 2014, he will be lacing up the skates for the Cambridge Hornets in Allan Cup Hockey this season, taking on double duty at the rink while also serving as the head coach of the Cambridge RedHawks.
A veteran of 18 NHL seasons, Bertuzzi played 1,159 regular season games, and scored 314 goals and 770 points through his time with the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings.
However, his best years came with the Canucks, where he starred on the West Coast Express line alongside Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund, scoring 188 goals and 261 assists over 518 games.
Through that time, he also earned nominations to the NHL All-Star Game in 2003 and 2004.
Since then, he went on to play for the Panthers, Ducks, Flames and Red Wings, before stepping away from the ice in 2014 after two games in the AHL. In April 2025, he was named head coach of the RedHawks and has now decided to return to the ice himself in the ACH, a league that has been around since the late 1800s.
Joining the Hornets, he brings some excitement to a historic ACH franchise, which dates back to the 1960s, but will compete in the league for the first time since 2006.
“I believe it’s like riding a bike,” Bertuzzi said in a press conference recorded by 519 Sports Online, hoping to lead the Hornets to a fourth Allan Cup title and first since 1983. “Obviously there’s going to be a lot of younger guys, faster guys and all that. I respect the league and I respect what they’re doing. I’m not coming back as a carnival. I feel healthy enough to play, and I’d love to come play with them and help them win a championship.”
Todd Bertuzzi is returning to the ice this Fall signing with @hornetssrhc for @TheACHL1890 season! He says it'll be his first competitive hockey in 11 years. Here's our interview from Cambridge about Bertuzzi's comeback! #LocalSports #ACH #519Hockey https://t.co/ybuclGtGll pic.twitter.com/qLwNTaNcrh
— 519 Sports Online (@519sportsonline) July 3, 2025“I think with me it’s about sharing what I know about hockey and what I’ve been through,” Bertuzzi said. “I’ve been on a lot of teams, been in some great dressing rooms with some great players and all that. I’ve got a fair amount of knowledge for the game, and I think I can help out this group.”
Last season, the Wentworth Gryphins won the Allan Cup, while former NHLer Cory Connacher finished second in league scoring, only behind Cordell James, who played in the OHL and in Canadian university hockey.