Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill was blunt when he assessed the circumstances that would be required for left-winger Tyler Bertuzzi to be a regular presence with the team.

“If we don’t have enough minutes for him, then he’s better off playing in GR, so that when injuries arise or opportunities open with more minutes, he’s more ready to jump through that window of opportunity,” Blashill said earlier this month when Bertuzzi earned a brief one-game recall from AHL Grand Rapids.

Well, just in time for Christmas, that window has opened. Now it’s on Bertuzzi to make the leap.

The Wings again summoned Bertuzzi from Grand Rapids on Wednesday, and this time, he could be around for some time. Forward Luke Glendening suffered a right hand injury in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers and while the Wings have yet to confirm the severity of the injury, it would seem that Glendening could be lost for a long period, and make no mistake, this is bad news for the team.

He’s a key for a penalty-killing unit that shares the NHL lead with six shorthanded goals and Glendening has also filled a regular role on Detroit’s shutdown forward unit with Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm.

“He’s one of our heart and soul guys out there for our PK,” Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard told detroitredwings.com. “He gives up his body every single night blocking shots.

“Now we’re going to need guys to step up in his place.”

One of those guys will be Bertuzzi. The Wings are of the belief that Bertuzzi can be a solid checker, and is capable of contributing enough offense that perhaps a top nine forward spot could eventually be his.

Certainly, Bertuzzi has displayed those wares at the AHL level. Bertuzzi, 22, has appeared in 16 games with the Griffins this season and has logged 14 points (7-7-14). He has points in six of his last seven games for Grand Rapids, totaling eight points (4-4-8) over that span, including two goals and one assist in Thursday’s matinee game at Chicago against the Wolves.

Bertuzzi has also shown the ability to step up in the big games. He won an OHL championship with the Guelph Storm and last spring, he collected 19 points (9-10-19) in 19 postseason games to win the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL playoffs most-valuable player, helping the Griffins capture the Calder Cup title.

Bertuzzi still needs to show he can turn in these sorts of performances at hockey’s highest level, and to be fair, he really hasn’t been offered that chance in his eight previous NHL games.

Opportunity is knocking now, though and if he wants to stay with the big club, Bertuzzi needs to jump through that window with both feet.

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