Bryan Berard

Bryan Wallace Berard (born March 5, 1977) is an American professional player who last played for Vityaz Chekhov of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. He is noted for a debilitating eye injury he received early in his career.

Playing Career
He was drafted first overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He would not play a game for the Senators, after informing the club he would not report. The Senators traded him along with Martin Straka to the New York Islanders for Wade Redden and Damian Rhodes. He was a successful player on the Islanders and won the Calder Trophy in 1997 as the top rookie in the NHL. He also played for the United States in the 1998 Winter Olympics. After four years with the Islanders, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Berard played the last two seasons in Columbus. Besides his Calder Trophy season with the Islanders, Berard’s best season was 2003–04 in which he was 13–34–47 in only 58 games with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 565 career NHL games with the Islanders, Toronto, Rangers, Boston, Chicago, and Columbus, Berard has 71 goals and 230 assists for a total of 301 points.

Eye Injury
On March 11, 2000, while Berard was playing for the Leafs in a game against the Senators in Ottawa, the stick of Marián Hossa clipped Berard in the right eye, severely injuring it. The eye had been severely slashed on sclera which resulted in a retinal tear and a detached retina. In the hospital room after the incident, after being told he might lose his eye, Berard reportedly told his friends that he would play hockey again. Despite being optimistic about his future in hockey, he ended up receiving a $6.5 million settlement from his insurance company, what many considered to be a career-ending settlement.

During the next season, he 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. He was later fitted with a contact lens that allowed him to meet the league's minimum vision requirement of 20/400.

When it became apparent that he might play again, the Leafs stated they were interested in his services, but Berard opted to play for a team that was currently rebuilding and was a bit closer to his home of Woonsocket. Upon signing a tryout contract with the New York Rangers, Berard 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 2002–03 season.

He then enjoyed successful one-year stints with both the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2005–06 season. As a result of his perseverance, Berard was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his dedication to hockey in 2004.

Steroid Testing
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 to ever 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."

2007–08 Season
Bryan Berard accepted an invitation to attend training camp for the 2007–08 season with the New York Islanders. He performed well enough that Berard signed a one-year contract with the Islanders at the conclusion of training camp.

In his first game back with the Islanders, Berard scored the game-winning goal against his former team, the rival New York Rangers in a 2–1 Islander victory.

European Career
He moved on November 16, 2008 to Vityaz Chekhov of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and scored 18 points in 25 games played. After that season he retired.

Awards

 * NHL All-Rookie Team, 1997
 * Calder Memorial Trophy, 1997
 * Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, 2004