Brett Berard Feels It's A ‘Blessing’ To Be With Rangers

Brett Berard has been one of the New York Rangers’ few bright spots through this difficult stretch.

The Rangers called up Brett Berard from the American Hockey League on Nov. 24, and while his call-up hasn’t resulted in wins, he’s really provided a spark for this team.

Berard is a unique player as he possesses explosive speed while also playing a physical brand of hockey.

There is a reason why he’s made it into the NHL as a fifth-round pick. The 22-year-old is always hustling and he plays almost like a power forward despite standing at just 5’9’’.

Through 14 games, Berard is getting better and better with his confidence continuing to grow.

“I think as each game goes by you grow a little bit more confident,” Berard said. “It obviously stinks losing, so it’s hard to get that confidence. I think individually, I think it’s coming, it’s coming along. The game is starting to slow down a little bit, starting to feel more comfortable out there.”

Over the past two games, Berard has been playing alongside Will Cuylle and Filip Chytil, which shows how much Peter Laviolette trusts the young forward.

Berard feels that being with Cuylle and Chytil is elevating his game to an even higher level.

“I think it’s been going great,” Berard said about his line with Cuylle and Chytil. “I think we were pretty good, I think we were generating offense.

“I think we can be a super good line together. They are super easy to play with, hard to play against. I think we are all pretty fast guys, we are all super competitive. They’ve been awesome. It’s been super easy to fit in with them. It’s been great.”

For a player who has battled his way to get to this point, nothing is taken for granted.

Berard has earned a spot with the Rangers and if he stays on his current trajectory, he’ll be in New York for years to come.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is to not take any day for granted,” Berard said. “Been working my whole life for this. I’ve been playing hockey since I was three years old to get to this moment, so that’s something I’m trying to take in and I don’t know if it’s hit to the fullest extent yet.

“It’s awesome, just trying to take it day-by-day, recover the best I can to be ready for the next game, next practice because I might only get one shot at this. You want to make every day like it’s your last day. Every day is a first impression to the coaches and your teammates. It’s a blessing to be here, so trying to enjoy it.”