Robert Bortuzzo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robert Bortuzzo |
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Bortuzzo with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014
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| Born | March 18, 1989 Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Free agent Pittsburgh Penguins St. Louis Blues New York Islanders Utah Hockey Club |
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| NHL Draft | 78th overall, 2007 Pittsburgh Penguins |
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| Playing career | 2009–present | ||
Robert Bortuzzo, born on March 18, 1989, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a defenceman, which means he helps protect his team's goal. He recently played for the Utah Hockey Club in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Pittsburgh Penguins chose him in the 2007 NHL draft. He is currently a free agent, meaning he can sign with any team.
Robert grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He played junior hockey with the Fort William North Stars, winning a championship. Later, he played for the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Scouts saw him as a promising player. After three seasons with the Rangers, he started his professional career with the Penguins. Robert played seven seasons with the Penguins organization. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2015. With the Blues, he won the Stanley Cup in 2019. He also played for the New York Islanders.
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Robert's Early Life
Robert Bortuzzo was born on March 18, 1989, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. His parents are Oscar and Susan. His father was also a hockey player, a goaltender, who was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in 1977. Robert's grandfather, Sergio, was involved in the community. An annual bocce tournament is held in his name.
Robert's Hockey Journey
Growing up, Robert played both baseball and ice hockey. He even co-captained his little league baseball team to the Senior League World Series. In hockey, he was drafted by the Windsor Spitfires in 2005. However, he chose to play one more season with the Fort William North Stars. During that season, his team won a league championship.
Playing in the OHL
In 2006, Robert joined the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. He scored his first OHL goal on November 2. Before the 2007 NHL entry draft, NHL scouts thought he was a "legitimate prospect." The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked him 48th among North American skaters. The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted him 78th overall.
In his second season with the Rangers, Robert helped the team set a new record for points. He scored the game-winning goal in a 4–3 victory. The Rangers won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy for having the best regular season record. Robert helped the team reach the 2008 Memorial Cup. Even with a shoulder injury, he played well. He finished his time with the Rangers with 49 points in 138 games.
Time with the Pittsburgh Penguins
After his junior career, Robert joined the Penguins organization. He started playing for their minor league team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, in the American Hockey League (AHL). He scored his first AHL goal on November 19, 2009. In his first season, he had 12 points and 109 penalty minutes.
In his second AHL season, Robert continued to improve. He was chosen to play in the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic, where he scored two goals. He finished the season with 26 points in 79 games. He also had a league-best plus-28 rating.
Robert made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 4, 2011. He was the first player from the SIJHL to play in an NHL game. He scored his first NHL goal on February 2, 2013, against the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins won that game 5–1.
In the 2013–14 NHL season, Robert's playing time increased. He played in 54 games and had ten assists. On April 26, 2014, he played in his first career Stanley Cup playoffs game. This was against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Joining the St. Louis Blues
In March 2015, Robert was traded to the St. Louis Blues. He played 13 games with the Blues that season, getting 2 points. After the season, the Blues signed him to a two-year contract.
In the 2015–16 NHL season, Robert played 40 games. He made his first playoff appearance with the Blues in 2016. The team reached the Western Conference Final but lost to the San Jose Sharks.
Robert signed a new two-year contract with the Blues in December 2016. He continued to be a strong defensive player for the team. In the 2017–18 NHL season, he set new career highs with four goals and 13 points.
The 2018–19 NHL season was a special one for Robert and the Blues. After a tough start, the team turned things around. Robert played in 59 games and had 10 points. The Blues made it to the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. They beat the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars to reach the Western Conference Final. Robert scored a key goal in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks.
The Blues then faced the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. Robert and the Blues won the series in seven games, bringing the first Stanley Cup in franchise history to St. Louis! Robert was rewarded with a special "Day with the Cup" to celebrate.
During the 2019–20 NHL season, Robert continued to play well. He was suspended for four games for a cross-check against a Nashville Predators player. He later commented that he is not a "malicious player."
Moving to New York and Utah
On December 8, 2023, Robert was traded to the New York Islanders. He played 23 games for them during the 2023–24 NHL season.
On August 31, 2024, Robert signed a one-year contract with the Utah Hockey Club. He played 17 games for them, getting 2 assists. He is now a free agent.
Career Statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2005–06 | Fort William North Stars | SIJHL | 40 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 137 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 63 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 67 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2007–08 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 52 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 61 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 14 | ||
| 2008–09 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 23 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 75 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 109 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 79 | 4 | 22 | 26 | 111 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 51 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 61 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | ||
| 2012–13 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 31 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 15 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 54 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 74 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 38 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 40 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 52 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 38 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 72 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 59 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 47 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 30 | ||
| 2019–20 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 42 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 40 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 47 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 73 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 36 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2022–23 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 43 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | New York Islanders | NHL | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||
| 2024–25 | Utah Hockey Club | NHL | 17 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 577 | 20 | 56 | 76 | 533 | 60 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 60 | ||||
Awards and Honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| AHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2011 | |
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup champion | 2019 | |
