The Chicago Blackhawks are getting one of their most effective players back into the lineup as they continue to enjoy one of their best starts in recent memory. After missing the last two games, Tyler Bertuzzi will play against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night, head coach Jeff Blashill confirmed.
Bertuzzi was hit hard into the boards by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon during a 4-3 overtime loss back on November 12. He missed two contests; a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, and a 5-2 triumph against the Calgary Flames two nights later — both on home ice.
That hit cost Dillon a $5,000 fine, although he wasn't suspended for the check, and neither Bertuzzi nor the team confirmed that the injury stemmed from the play.
Bertuzzi was seen during the team's morning skate taking line rushes alongside Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore. He'll also rejoin his spot with the top powerplay group, alongside Connor Bedard, Teuvo Teravainen, Andre Burakovsky and Artyom Levshunov.
The 30-year-old power forward has been excellent on a surging Hawks team in 2025-26, managing nine goals and 15 points in just 16 games. He's spent quite a bit of time on Bedard's wing; the young phenom is breaking out to the tune of 29 points in 19 games this year.
The Sudbury, Ontario native is trending towards a career year; Bertuzzi's best regular-season came back in 2021-22, when he amassed 62 points in 68 games with the Detroit Red Wings.
Last year with the Hawks, he played a full 82-game slate but only chipped in 46 points. If he can continue even close to the pace he's at this time around, he should be able to shatter that mark.
Over 504 National Hockey League regular-season games, Bertuzzi has scored 145 goals and 177 assists for 322 points. He will be a key addition as Chicago looks to keep on banking points early in the campaign.
Blackhawks look like a playoff team in 2025-26 — so far
It's a long season, but the Hawks are doing a lot of things right in the early going. With Bedard leading the charge, and Spencer Knight looking like the goalie of the present and future in the Windy City, Blashill's team is 10-5-4 and tied for third place in the Central Division.
The Western Conference is a logjam, with 10 teams separated by just four points. Every game is critical despite it only being November, and it looks like the Hawks are taking that to heart.
They've won two in a row and five of six, the only loss in that stretch coming to the Devils in overtime. It looks like they're coming out of the rebuild in a big way, and Bertuzzi returning to the fold should only help in that quest.
The Blackhawks will try to secure another two points when puck drops against the Kraken just past 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
