Robert Bortuzzo

Although the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Bortuzzo 48th overall North American skaters he was drafted in the third round, 78th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

His father was a major junior ice hockey goaltender who was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in 1977 and inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

His grandfather Sergio volunteered at Thunder Bay's DaVinci Centre and they host an annual bocce tournament in his name.

Growing up in Thunder Bay, Bortuzzo played both baseball and ice hockey.

He co-captained his little league baseball team to the Senior League World Series after narrowly missing the Little League World Series three years prior.

Robert Bortuzzo (born March 18, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Bortuzzo was born on March 18, 1989, in Thunder Bay, Ontario to parents Oscar and Susan.

Bortuzzo was drafted by the Windsor Spitfires during the 2005 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection but chose to complete the 2005–06 season with the Fort William North Stars of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL).

During that season, he led the team to a league championship, Dudley Hewitt Cup but they failed to qualify for the 2006 Royal Bank Cup final.

Although he went pointless in five games during the 2006 Royal Bank Cup Final, Bortuzzo called it a "great experience and definitely a great learning curve."

Upon completing the season with Fort William North Stars, Bortuzzo was acquired by the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2007 draft on May 31, 2006.

After attending the team's training camp, he recorded his first career OHL goal on November 2, in a 4–2 loss to the London Knights.

Bortuzzo was drafted 78th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Bortuzzo played junior hockey with the Fort William North Stars with whom he won a Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) championship and Dudley Hewitt Cup.

He was eventually drafted by the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and later traded to the Kitchener Rangers.

During his time in the OHL, Bortuzzo drew comparisons to Fedor Tyutin and was praised as "a legitimate prospect" by NHL scouts.

He spent three seasons with the Rangers before beginning his professional career with the Penguins organization.

Leading up to the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Bortuzzo drew comparisons to Fedor Tyutin and was praised as "a legitimate prospect" by Mark Seidel, a scout for the NHL Draft.

On September 4, 2007, Bortuzzo was invited to the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL camp, but was re-assigned to the Rangers for the 2007–08 season.

During his second season with the team, Bortuzzo helped the Rangers set a new franchise record for points in a season as he scored the game winning goal in a 4–3 win over the Saginaw Spirit.

The Rangers eventually won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL team who finished the regular season with the best record.

Bortuzzo helped the team qualify for the 2008 Memorial Cup and, in spite of a shoulder injury, recorded eight assists and a plus-18 rating.

Former Penguins director of player personnel Jay Heinbuck spoke highly of Bortuzzo's play during the tournament saying, "He's got a good work ethic, he doesn't get beat one-on-one, he has good puck skills. I don't envision him being an offensive defenseman, but his passing is above average."

During the offseason, Bortuzzo attended the Penguins 2008 Conditioning Camp, although he missed the beginning of the 2008–09 season due to a shoulder injury and subsequent recovery.

Upon his return to the line-up, Bortuzzo played in the remaining 23 games and managed one goal and 16 assists.

He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins on May 27, 2009, to conclude his major junior career.

Bortuzzo finished his tenure with the Rangers accumulating 49 points in 138 regular-season games.

After attending the Penguins training camp, Bortuzzo was reassigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on September 23, 2009, to begin the 2009–10 season.

He recorded his first career AHL goal during the second period of a 5–3 loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack on November 19.

In his rookie season, Bortuzzo tallied 12 points, 109 penalty minutes, and a plus-13 rating in 75 games.

After attending the Penguins training camp, Bortuzzo was re-assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on September 29, 2010, to begin the season.

Following a game against Norfolk Admirals on December 11, Bortuzzo, Jesse Boulerice, and Stefano Giliati were each suspended one game as a result of their actions.

By January, he had recorded two goals and 16 assists in 45 games and was tied league-wide for third amongst AHL defencemen with a plus-17 rating.

Bortuzzo played seven seasons with the Penguins organization, during which he was named to the 2011 AHL All-Star Game.

As a result, he was selected to compete in the 2011 AHL All Star Classic, where he scored two goals.

Bortuzzo concluded his second season with the Penguins with 26 points in 79 games and earned a league-wide best plus-28.

For the third consecutive year, Bortuzzo attended the Penguins training camp, although he was placed on their injured reserve to begin the season.

He also missed the team's final Rookie Tournament contest against the Blackhawks due to a lower body injury.

Bortuzzo was eventually traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 2, 2015, in exchange for Ian Cole.

During the 2018–19 season, Bortuzzo won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Blues, becoming the first SIJHL alumni to do so.