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Brett Berard

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Brett Berard
Born (2002-09-09) September 9, 2002 (age 22)
East Greenwich, Rhode Island, U.S.
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
NHL team New York Rangers
NHL draft 134th overall, 2020
New York Rangers
Playing career 2023–present

Brett Berard (born September 9, 2002) is an American professional ice hockey forward who plays for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Berard was drafted by the Rangers in the 5th round (134th overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Berard won a gold medal with the United States men's national junior ice hockey team at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Playing career

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Berard was drafted by the Rangers out of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in the 5th round (134th overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.[1][2] He then went on to play college hockey for the Providence Friars men's ice hockey from the 2020-21 season through the 2022-23 season.[1] Berard's father David Berard had been an assistant coach for Providence when Brett was a toddler.[3]

Prior to the 2022-23 season, Journal News reporter Vincent Z. Mercogliano rated Berard as the Rangers' 6th best prospect.[4] After the 2022-23 Providence season he signed his first NHL contract with the Rangers and played 3 games for Hartford.[1][5]

In 2023-24, Berard played the entire season for Hartford, and led the team in goals with 25 and was 3rd on the team in points with 48.[6][7] He finished 3rd among AHL rookies in goals.[8]

Prior to the 2024-25 season Mercogliano rated Berard as the Rangers' 4th best prospect, behind just 1st round draft picks EJ Emery, Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault.[9] McKeen's Hockey also rated him as the Rangers' 4th best prospect, satying that "He’s a very aggressive forechecker. He can kill penalties. He drives the net and battles for touches in high traffic areas. He’s not an easy player for defenders to pin down," but doesn't have as much offensive upside as Othmann.[10] The Hockey News rated him as the Rangers' 7th best prospect.[11]

Berard had a strong training camp with the Rangers and was one of their last cuts before the start of the regular season.[12] He was recalled to the Rangers on November 24, 2024, after posting 7 goals and 6 assists in his first 16 games for Hartford.[13][14][15] He registered an assist in his NHL debut on November 25, 2024 against the St. Louis Blues.[16] He scored his first NHL goal in his next game against the Carolina Hurricanes on November 27.[17][18]

International play

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Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  United States
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Canada

Berard was a member of the United States men's national junior ice hockey team at both the 2021 and 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[1][5] He was the second youngest member of the 2021 team (to Matty Beniers) when they won the gold medal in 2021.[3] In 2022 the team was upset by the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.[4]

Playing style

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An issue for Berard as a hockey player is his size, at just 5 feet 9 inches tall, but he is a fast skater.[3][2][4] He makes up for his size with grit and tenacity.[3] One NHL scout said that "He's a [jerk] to play against", actually using a stronger word than "jerk."[4] According to Mercogliano, he is "efficient at getting inside and establishing shooting positions, using his smallish stature to stay compact and gain leverage at tough angles."[9] According to Berard:

I actually like to use my size to my advantage. It’s a lot easier to escape against bigger opponents and in the corners I actually feel like I have an advantage being on the smaller side and getting in and out of corners to be able to make plays. A lot of people say it’s a disadvantage but I like to take it as an advantage and use my size as a strength. I definitely wouldn’t be able to do some of the things that I’m able to do if I was bigger. So, I like my size and I like where I’m at.[2]

During the 2023-24 season, Berard improved his skating speed as well as his shooting ability, developing a quick release.[9]

Personal

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Brett's brother Brady Berard is also a hockey player who played for Providence and is currently playing for the Boston College Eagles.[19][2][20] Brett and Brady had always been competitive against each other growing up.[3]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2018–19 U.S. National Development Team USHL 27 5 7 12 12 2 0 0 0 2
2019–20 U.S. National Development Team USHL 13 7 11 18 18 — — — — —
2020–21 Providence College HE 19 5 5 10 16 — — — — —
2021–22 Providence College HE 36 18 20 38 37 — — — — —
2022–23 Providence College HE 36 10 14 24 35 — — — — —
2022–23 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2023–24 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 71 25 23 48 62 10 1 5 6 6
AHL totals 74 25 23 48 62 10 1 5 6 6

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2018 United States U17 8th 5 0 2 2 6
2021 United States WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 1 4 5 0
2022 United States WJC 5th 5 1 0 1 29
Junior totals 17 2 6 8 35

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Brett Berard". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  2. ^ a b c d Wheeler, Scott (March 3, 2022). "With a chip on his shoulder, New York Rangers prospect Brett Berard's NHL potential has grown". New York Times. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  3. ^ a b c d e Kennedy Ryan (December 30, 2020). "Meet Brett Berard, America's Aggressor". The Hockey News. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  4. ^ a b c d Mercogliano, Vincent Z. (August 28, 2022). "Rangers '22 prospect ratings: No. 6 is a "pest" for opponents to deal with". Journal News. pp. 1B, 3B. Retrieved 2024-10-13 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Rangers sign college forward Berard to entry-level contract". TSN. March 21, 2023. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  6. ^ "2023-24 Hartford Wolf Pack Player Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  7. ^ Walker, Mollie (September 25, 2024). "Brett Berard looking to make strong impression with Rangers stock rising". New York Post. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  8. ^ Amore, Don (May 8, 2024). "The Payoff". Hartford Courant. pp. D1, D4. Retrieved 2024-10-13 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c Mercogliano, Vincent Z. (September 12, 2024). "NY Rangers 2024 prospect rankings: Part 2, Nos. 1-5". Lohud. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  10. ^ Otten, Brock; Hall, Dave (September 16, 2024). "McKeen's 2024-25 NHL Yearbook – New York Rangers – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #23". McKeen's Hockey. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  11. ^ Fischler, Stan (October 14, 2024). "The Rangers Best NCAA Prospect You Never Heard About". The Hockey News. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  12. ^ Braziller, Zach (October 5, 2024). "Rangers' impressive prospects forcing difficult roster decisions before opener". New York Post. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  13. ^ Mastey, Remy (November 24, 2024). "Rangers Recall Brett Berard After Explosive Start In AHL". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  14. ^ Walker, Mollie (November 24, 2024). "Rangers turning to Brett Berard in hopes of shock to system after disappointing road trip". New York Post. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  15. ^ Mercogliano, Vincent Z. (November 25, 2024). "Rangers put Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba on trade block; recall Brett Berard and Matt Rempe". Lohud. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  16. ^ Walker, Mollie (November 26, 2024). "Rangers' Brett Berard delivers first NHL point debut". New York Post. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  17. ^ "Brett Berard with a Goal vs. Carolina Hurricanes". NHL. November 27, 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  18. ^ Sutton, Bob (November 27, 2024). "Jesper Kotkaniemi, Jackson Blake score in 3rd period as Hurricanes rally to beat Rangers 4-3". Daily News. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  19. ^ "Brady Berard". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  20. ^ Sheridan, Matthieu (June 3, 2024). "Brady Berard: Underrated Acquisition for Eagles?". The Hockey News. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
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