Teammates during last year's playoff run, Tyler Bertuzzi meets Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins for the first time this season.

BOSTON — Tyler Bertuzzi didn't know what to expect when he joined the Boston Bruins last season.

After spending the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, the club traded Bertuzzi to the Bruins in exchange for a lottery-protected first-round draft pick in 2024 and a fourth-round pick in 2025. That's when he became teammates with Bruins forward Marchand.

So what did he pick up from one of the biggest pests in the NHL?

"That's he's actually a nice guy," Bertuzzi told reporters at TD Garden on Thursday. "He's easy to get along with and he's a lot of fun to be around."

Bertuzzi and Marchand tied for the team lead in playoff points (10) in 2023 and were knocked out of the first round by the Florida Panthers, despite their club recording an NHL record in wins (65) and points (135). 

This past summer, Bertuzzi signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Maple Leafs. After starting the season on the team's top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, Bertuzzi has settled into more of a rhythm on the second line alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. 

But in his first meeting since departing the Bruins, he knows that Marchand will be try and stir the pot.

"Yeah I know he’s just full of sh*t now," Bertuzzi said. "But he’s going to try and do something tonight but it's all in good fun."

Marchand is equally a fan of Bertuzzi. During their playoffs series against the Panthers, cameras caught Bertuzzi grabbing the stick of Nick Cousins on his way to the bench.

"He's a little greaseball, I love it," Marchand said of Bertuzzi at the time.

Bertuzzi has two goals and one assist this season. The Leafs are looking for more even-strength offense and the Sudbury native is being counted on to help with that. He has a good track record against the Bruins with three goals and nine assists in 14 games in his career when playing against Boston.

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