Bryan Wallace Berard (born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Berard was the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. He is most noted for a debilitating eye injury he received early in his career. Berard underwent several operations, and played 619 games in his NHL career despite the seriousness of the injury.
Bryan Berard | |||
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Born |
(1977-03-05) March 5, 1977 (age 45) Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S. | ||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | ||
Position | Defense | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
New York Islanders Toronto Maple Leafs New York Rangers Boston Bruins Chicago Blackhawks Columbus Blue Jackets Vityaz Chekhov | ||
National team |
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NHL Draft |
1st overall, 1995 Ottawa Senators | ||
Playing career | 1996–2009 |
Berard was drafted first overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. As the first overall pick - and with the Senators blue line among the weaker in the league, Berard anticipated going straight to the National Hockey League. However, after his first training camp with the team, he was returned to junior hockey. Concerned about his development with the club, Berard requested a trade.[1] In January 1996, the Senators traded him in a three-team trade with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs that saw his rights, along with those of Wade Redden, Martin Straka, Kirk Muller, Ken Belanger, Don Beaupre and Damian Rhodes move between the three teams.
Berard joined the Islanders for 1996–97 season and made an immediate impact. With 48 points in his rookie season, he led all defensemen on the team, and finished ninth league-wide in scoring. He was rewarded for his efforts in 1997 by winning the Calder Trophy as the top rookie in the NHL, edging out Jarome Iginla. He also played for the United States in the 1998 Winter Olympics. After four years with the Islanders, he was traded to the Maple Leafs in exchange for goaltender Felix Potvin.
Berard put up 19 points in 38 games with the Maple Leafs, and played 17 more contests in the post season. In his second year with the club, he had 30 points in 64 games when on March 11, 2000, during a game between against the Senators in Ottawa, the stick of the Senators' Marian Hossa clipped Berard in the right eye on a follow through.[2] The eye was severely slashed on the sclera which resulted in a retinal tear and a detached retina. In the hospital after the incident, after being told he might lose his eye, Berard reportedly told his friends that he would play hockey again.[citation needed] Despite that optimism, he received a $6.5 million settlement from his insurance company, what many considered to be a career-ending settlement.[3]
Berard missed the 2000–01 season and underwent seven eye operations, improving his vision in the eye to 20/600. He started working out again in April 2001 and started skating again months thereafter. Berard was later fitted with a contact lens that allowed him to meet the league's minimum vision requirement of 20/400.[3]
When it became apparent that he might play again, the Maple Leafs stated they were interested in his services,[citation needed] but Berard opted to play for a team that was currently rebuilding and was a bit closer to his home of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Upon signing a tryout contract with the New York Rangers, he returned his insurance settlement and risked a comeback to the NHL. He played well enough that his tryout contract turned into a $2 million contract for the 2001–02 season, plus two one-year options that could have turned it into a $9.75 million pact.[4] However, he was released by the Rangers after a disappointing season where he only scored 2 goals and 23 points despite playing in all 82 games for the Rangers.
Berard then inked a one-year deal to join the Boston Bruins. With Boston, Berard began to return to his pre-injury form posting ten goals and 38-points, his highest total since his second year in the league. Despite his success, the Bruins balked when an arbitrator awarded Berard a $2.51 million contract and they walked away from the ruling, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Chicago Blackhawks offered him a $2.01 million deal and signed him to a one-year contract. In Chicago, Berard's game continued to improve and he finished the year second on the team in scoring with 47-points, just one off his career best. He capped his year by being awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his dedication to hockey.[5] With his career seemingly on the upswing, the Blackhawks and Berard agreed on a one-year $3 million contract for the 2004-05 campaign. Blackhawks general manager Bob Pulford was eager to have him back, saying "His point production was right up there with the best defensemen. He excels on the power play and that's a huge part of the game now. It was important for us to get him under contract." But the season was ultimately cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, and with a new general manager replacing Pulford, Berard was not tendered an offer for the 2005–06 season.
As a free agent, Berard landed a two-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus GM Doug MacLean felt that Berard's skillset was a perfect fit for his club, saying "Bryan brings a level of speed to our blue line that we've never had in the past," adding, "With a more wide-open game coming in the NHL, Bryan should really flourish and we're excited about what he adds to our hockey team."[6] Unfortunately for Berard, while he had overcome the limitations of his vision to become a solid offensive defensemen, his time in Columbus would be marred by troubles with his back. His first season with the Blue Jackets saw him post impressive numbers with 12-goals and 32-points in just 44 games but a back injury - and subsequent surgery - shut him down in March. In October, when he should have been gearing up for his second year with the club, he had another surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back and managed to play just eleven games with the Jackets.[7] In late February, just before the trade deadline, the team waived Berard, ending his time in Columbus.[8]
Berard accepted an invitation to attend training camp for the 2007–08 season with the Islanders, and performed well enough to earn a one-year contract with them.[9] In his first game back with his original NHL team, Berard scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 Islander victory against another of his former teams, the Rangers. However, from there it was downhill and Berard managed just five-goals and 22-points while posting a -17 plus/minus rating.
Prior to the start of the 2008–09 NHL season, Berard was invited to training camp with the Philadelphia Flyers. He was not offered a contract despite tallying two assists in Philadelphia's final pre-season game. Berard signed on November 16, 2008, with Vityaz Chekhov of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He scored 17 points in 25 games played.
Berard retired after the 2008–09 season.
Berard lives in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. He appeared in 2011 on the Battle of the Blades, a CBC Television program.[10]
He was a victim along with many other NHL players of a scam run by financial advisor Phil Kenner.[11] Kenner was eventually sentenced to 17 years in jail for the scam.[12]
In early 2006, it was revealed that he had tested positive for an anabolic steroid known as 19-norandrosterone, in a drug test he had taken in November 2005. He was the first NHL player ever to test positive for steroids. The NHL did not hand down any form of suspension to Berard, as they did not administer the test, but he was banned from international play for two years effective January 3, 2006. Berard said after the incident, "I made a mistake that resulted in a suspension and, while unintentional, I take full responsibility. I became aware of this problem after the fact, and for that, I am disappointed in myself."[13]
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1991–92 | Mount St. Charles Academy | HS-RI | 15 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1992–93 | Mount St. Charles Academy | HS-RI | 15 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1993–94 | Mount St. Charles Academy | HS-RI | 15 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | ||
1994–95 | Detroit Junior Red Wings | OHL | 58 | 20 | 55 | 75 | 97 | 21 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 38 | ||
1994–95 | Detroit Junior Red Wings | MC | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
1995–96 | Detroit Whalers | OHL | 56 | 31 | 58 | 89 | 116 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 41 | ||
1996–97 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 8 | 40 | 48 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1997–98 | New York Islanders | NHL | 75 | 14 | 32 | 46 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1998–99 | New York Islanders | NHL | 34 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1998–99 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 38 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 8 | ||
1999–2000 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 64 | 3 | 27 | 30 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2001–02 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 2 | 21 | 23 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2002–03 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 10 | 28 | 38 | 64 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
2003–04 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 58 | 13 | 34 | 47 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2005–06 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 44 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2006–07 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 11 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2007–08 | New York Islanders | NHL | 54 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2008–09 | Vityaz Chekhov | KHL | 25 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 619 | 76 | 247 | 323 | 500 | 20 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
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1995 | United States | WJC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 36 | |
1996 | United States | WJC | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 20 | |
1997 | United States | WC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
1998 | United States | OG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Junior totals | 13 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 56 | |||
Senior totals | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Preceded by | NHL first overall draft pick 1995 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Ottawa Senators first round draft pick 1995 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy 1997 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy 2004 |
Succeeded by |
Battle of the Blades | |||||
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Seasons |
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Hosts |
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Judges |
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Winners |
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Runners-up |
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Related articles |
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Battle of the Blades (season 3) | |
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