Stanley Cup champion Robert Bortuzzo making his way to Utah Hockey Club

PUBLICATION

Daniel Lucente
August 31, 2024 (4:38 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Utah Hockey Club have announced that they've just signed a former Stanley Cup champion. Robert Bortuzzo will be the newest member of their team.

The Utah Hockey Club, the NHL's most recent expansion club, inked veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, a former Stanley Cup winner, to a one-year deal.

At 35, Robert Bortuzzo brings a ton of experience, including his Stanley Cup victory with the St. Louis Blues way back in 2018. He came to the Islanders on December 8, in an attempt to bolster a suddenly weak D core after a ton of injuries, most notably the one that cost them Scott Mayfield. In return, the Islanders moved their 2024 seventh-round draft pick to St. Louis.

Robert Bortuzzo's Islanders career was brief. He played just 23 games before suffering a lower-body injury on February 4th that he originally obtained during a January 2nd game against the Colorado Avalanche, which knocked him out. He ultimately returned for the end of the regular season and played in all five playoff games against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Despite being a free agent, Robert Bortuzzo wanted to stay with the Islanders, but there was no room on the roster for him. The Isles have Sebastian Aho, who played the entire season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike Reilly is returning on a one-year, $1.25 million deal and Scott Mayfield will be back after ankle surgery carrying a $3.5 million cap hit. For these reasons, Bortuzzo was the odd man out.

"I truly enjoyed my experience here. I would love to come back," Bortuzzo said. "Nothing's been talked about or anything, but I truly just enjoy the people, organizationally and in the locker room. It was a tough season at some points, having been injured for three months. To still enjoy it -- one of the harder things having to deal with as a player is being injured -- but to still enjoy the season, I would be happy to come back."

Coincidentally, the Islanders open the season against Robert Bortuzzo and the new-look Utah team on October 10th at UBS Arena.

Source:
Scottie Upshall on X

Source: NHL.com
Robert Bortuzzo Stats