Detroit Red Wings: Tyler Bertuzzi to miss five games in COVID-19 protocol

The Detroit Red Wings took home a victory on Wednesday over the Seattle Kraken after sealing the deal in the shootout. After the game, head coach Jeff Blashill noted that Tyler Bertuzzi will have to spend the next ten days in COVID-19 protocols away from the team.

This comes after the Detroit Red Wings forward was a late scratch due to protocols before the game. Being that Bertuzzi is unvaccinated, he is subject to different protocols than those who are vaccinated, hence the ten-day period he will now spend in the protocols.

While I’m not here to beat into the ground whether Bertuzzi is right or wrong for getting the vaccine or not, he made his decision not to get the vaccine, and now because of it, he is stuck off the ice for the next ten days. It sucks.

Losing one of the team’s top-producing forwards, who is already missing games because he cannot travel to Canada due to their regulations, has got to be frustrating for the Red Wings organization. Especially when things seem to be going so well for this team.

The Detroit Red Wings will be without Tyler Bertuzzi for the next five games.

For those really looking to dive deeper into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols, you can check it out here. However, to sum things up, since Bertuzzi is unvaccinated, he must stay in the protocol for a period of time before returning, being unable to just test out of it like those who are vaccinated.

That means that Bertuzzi will now miss the Red Wings next five games and be absent from the team’s lineup, leaving a hole on the top line. So far in 2021-22, Bertuzzi has played 20 games, with nine goals and nine assists for 18 total points.

He’s been one of the team’s top performers and is stationed on the top line alongside Dylan Larkin. This likely means that it could present a chance for players like Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, and Filip Zadina can step up and look to provide some offense.

This also means that Joe Veleno may earn another call-up to join the team while Bertuzzi is absent from the lineup. It’s a real possibility, one that should be welcomed. While missing out on Bertuzzi for five games surely is not great, the idea of Veleno cracking the lineup once again is a great thing.