Eric Canha-Imagn Images
During the 2024-25 season, Brett Berard was one of the most talked-about prospects in the New York Rangers’ pipeline.
He came into rookie camp hungry and eager to prove what he was capable of, and that’s exactly what he did.
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The 2020 fifth-round pick stood out with his blazing speed and scrappy, hard-nosed style of play, which was truly impressive for a 5-foot-9 forward.
While he didn’t make the Rangers’ opening-night roster out of training camp, Berard eventually earned an NHL spot and played a total of 35 games for the Blueshirts, recording six goals, four assists, and ten points.
Last year marked Berard’s coming-out party, but it’s been a different story for him to kick off the 2025-26 campaign.
From being sent down to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League out of training camp to his slow offensive start, Berard has gone through some adversity.
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Through his first 14 games in the AHL, Berard had not scored a goal. His recent scoring slump wasn’t for a lack of chances though.
“He’s generated a lot of chances… He wants to make a play, and sometimes when he does that, his hands move but his feet don’t,” Wolf Pack coach Grant Potulny said.
On Tuesday, Berard finally did score his first goal of the season, and celebrated with a sense of strong passion and relief.
It was a big weight lifted off of his shoulders. Berard actually feels that some of the struggles he’s gone through to open up the season helped him in a certain way.
“It took a little bit to score, so getting that one in today was great,” Berard said. “For me, I just want to try to provide for the team. Going through a skid, you start to put a lot of pressure on yourself to produce. I mean, I’ve scored in this league, and it’s something that I guess is different for me going through a skid like that, but I think it definitely has made me stronger and mentally tough, kind of dealing with that, especially early on in the season.
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“It’s a long year. It’s easy to kind of think about that too much. I mean, for me, it is just kind of generating the chances they’re going to go in. It’s just how hockey works, so I’m just waiting for that to happen, and today, it did. I was really happy to see it.”
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During the Wolf Pack’s 3-2 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds on Tuesday afternoon, Berard played on a line alongside Dylan Roobroeck and Trey Fix-Wolansky, while playing a role on both the power play and penalty kill.
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It’s not always easy to play in a handful of NHL games and then adapt to life back in the AHL.
Berard appeared to be in good spirits about the whole situation. He’s trying to live in the moment and focus on his role in Hartford.
“It’s awesome. I love the coaches. I love the guys in the room, but it’s different. I was up (with the Rangers) in March last year, and I was back down in October, so it’s a long time of being away from Hartford and away from these guys. I mean, we have a great group coming back here. It was a super easy adjustment.
“The coaches are awesome, and they’re open and honest with you about what you need to do and get better, and that’s all I’m trying to do. Not focus on getting called up or not focus on what might happen. I’m here in Hartford, and I’m here to help the team win, and I love the guys in the room. I love the coaches, so it’s been a blast coming to the rink every day.”
