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Brett Berard

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Brett Berard
Berard in 2024
Born (2002-09-09) September 9, 2002 (age 23)
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
Former teams		 Montreal Canadiens
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 for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fifth round, 134th overall, by the New York Rangers in the 2020 NHL entry draft. Internationally, Berard won a gold medal with the United States national junior team at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Playing career

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Berard was selected by the New York Rangers in the fifth round (134th overall) of the 2020 NHL entry draft.[1] Prior to this, he was a member of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program before committing to play collegiately for the Providence Friars beginning in 2020–21.[2] Berard's father, David, had previously been an assistant coach for Providence when Brett was a toddler.[3]

At the onset of the 2022–23 season, Journal News reporter Vincent Z. Mercogliano rated Berard as one of the Rangers' best prospects.[4] Following his junior season with Providence, he signed his first NHL contract with the organization and was assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack in March 2023.[5][6]

The following season, Berard played the entire 2023–24 campaign with Hartford, and led his team in goals with 25.[7][8] Collectively, he also finished third amongst all AHL rookies in goals.[9]

Despite playing much of the 2024–25 season with a torn labrum,[10] Berard had a strong training camp with the Rangers and was one of their last cuts before the start of the regular season.[11] In late November, he was recalled by the Rangers and registered an assist in his NHL debut on November 25, 2024, against the St. Louis Blues.[12][13] Berard then scored his first career NHL goal in his next game against the Carolina Hurricanes on November 27.[14][15]

On June 26, 2026, Berard was traded by the Rangers to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman William Trudeau.[16]

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 team at both the 2021 and 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[17][18] He was the second youngest member of the 2021 team (to Matty Beniers) where his team won gold.[3] The following year, the Americans were upset by Czechia in the quarterfinals.[4]

In April 2025, he was named to the United States national senior team for the annual IIHF World Championship.[19] However, Berard was ultimately not able to compete due to injury.[20]

Playing style

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Standing at just 5 feet 9 inches tall, size has always been an issue for Berard as a hockey player.[3] However, his fast skating along with grit and tenacity helps compensate for this deficiency.[1][4] One NHL scout labeled him as "a [jerk] to play against".[4] Others have described him as "efficient at getting inside and establishing shooting positions, using his smallish stature to stay compact and gain leverage at tough angles."[21] According to Berard personally:

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.[1]

Over the course of the 2023–24 season, Berard improved his skating speed as well as his shooting ability, developing a quick release.[21]

Personal life

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Brett's younger brother Brady is also a hockey player who is currently playing for the Boston College Eagles.[22] The siblings 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
2024–25 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 30 9 14 23 43 — — — — —
2024–25 New York Rangers NHL 35 6 4 10 8 — — — — —
2025–26 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 41 6 16 22 53 — — — — —
2025–26 New York Rangers NHL 13 0 0 0 6 — — — — —
NHL totals 48 6 4 10 8 — — — — —

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

Awards and honors

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Award Year Ref
College
All-Hockey East Third Team 2022 [23]
New England D1 All-Stars 2022 [24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Wheeler, Scott (March 3, 2022). "With a chip on his shoulder, New York Rangers prospect Brett Berard's NHL potential has grown". The Athletic. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  2. ^ Scaglione Jr., Leo (September 3, 2019). "Brett Berard stays the course with U.S. NTDP as he readies for Providenc". New England Hockey Journal. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d Kennedy Ryan (December 30, 2020). "Meet Brett Berard, America's Aggressor". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  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". The Journal News. pp. 1B, 3B. Retrieved October 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Rangers sign college forward Berard to entry-level contract". TSN.ca. March 21, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  6. ^ "WOLF PACK INK FORWARD BRETT BERARD TO ATO". Hartford Wolf Pack. March 21, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  7. ^ "2023-2024 Hartford Wolf Pack Player Stats". Eliteprospects.com. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  8. ^ Walker, Mollie (September 25, 2024). "Brett Berard looking to make strong impression with Rangers stock rising". New York Post. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  9. ^ Amore, Don (May 8, 2024). "The Payoff". Hartford Courant. pp. D1, D4. Retrieved October 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Mercogliano, Vincent Z. (August 10, 2025). "Berard readies for next first impression". The Journal News. p. B7. Retrieved October 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Braziller, Zach (October 5, 2024). "Rangers' impressive prospects forcing difficult roster decisions before opener". New York Post. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  12. ^ Mastey, Remy (November 24, 2024). "Rangers Recall Brett Berard After Explosive Start In AHL". The Hockey News. Retrieved November 25, 2024 – via Yahoo! Sports.
  13. ^ Walker, Mollie (November 26, 2024). "Rangers' Brett Berard delivers first NHL point debut". New York Post. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  14. ^ "Brett Berard with a Goal vs. Carolina Hurricanes". New York Rangers. November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024 – via NHL.com.
  15. ^ Sutton, Bob (November 24, 2024). "Jesper Kotkaniemi, Jackson Blake score in 3rd period as Hurricanes rally to beat Rangers 4-3". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  16. ^ "Canadiens acquire forward Brett Berard from the New York Rangers". Montreal Canadiens. June 26, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026 – via NHL.com.
  17. ^ Pronman, Corey (January 6, 2021). "Best and worst of the 2021 world juniors: NHL scouts vote for stars and flops". The Athletic. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  18. ^ Landvogt, Chapin (December 24, 2021). "Who to watch at World Juniors". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  19. ^ Brooks, Larry (April 29, 2025). "For Brett Berard and Will Cuylle, World Championship chance a reward". New York Post. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  20. ^ "Rangers' Brett Berard: Dropped from Team USA". CBS Sports. May 12, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  21. ^ a b Mercogliano, Vincent Z. (September 12, 2024). "NY Rangers 2024 prospect rankings: Part 2, Nos. 1-5". The Journal News. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  22. ^ "Brady Berard". Eliteprospects.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  23. ^ "Hockey East Names 2021-22 Men's All-Star Teams". Hockey East. March 11, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  24. ^ "Awards - NCAA (New England) D1 All-Stars". Eliteprospects.com. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
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