Bernier's junior career was spent entirely with the Lewiston Maineiacs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The first goal scored on him in the QMJHL was by his brother, Marc-André Bernier, at the Halifax Metro Centre on September 24, 2004. Bernier was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, 11th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft but returned to Lewiston for the 2006–07 season. That season, Bernier won the President's Cup with the Maineiacs.[2]
Professional
Los Angeles Kings
On September 29, 2007, Bernier made his NHL debut in the Kings' season opener against the Anaheim Ducks, which was played in London. He allowed one goal on 27 shots, earning the first win of his career by the final score of 4–1, and was named the second star of the game.[3] He played a total of four games that season in the NHL before being sent back to the Lewiston Maineiacs in the QMJHL to develop, finishing his season in the NHL with a record of 1–3.[4]
After aging out of the QMJHL and the success of Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick during Bernier's absence, he was sent to the Kings' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs for the 2008–09 season. He played 54 games in his first full-time season, ending the season with a record of 23–24–4 and a .914 save percentage.
The following season, Bernier returned to Manchester as their starting goaltender. He was selected for the 2010 AHL All-Star Game, for Team Canada.[5] In March 2010, Bernier was recalled to the Kings while Quick attended the birth of his first child.[6] On March 12, 2010, Bernier made his season debut in a 2–1 shootout victory against the Dallas Stars, stopping six shots in the shootout.[7] In the next game he started, Bernier recorded his first career shutout against the Nashville Predators on March 30, 2010.[8]
Bernier holding the Stanley Cup after the Kings victory in 2012
After a 8–3 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on April 1, 2010, Bernier was sent back down to Manchester in preparation for the Calder Cup playoffs.[9] Bernier played in every post-season game for the Monarchs, who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Manchester lost the series 4–2 against the Hershey Bears, who later went on to win the Calder Cup.[10][11]
Bernier spent the following three seasons as the backup goaltender for the Kings behind Jonathan Quick. In 2012, the Kings reached the Stanley Cup Finals against the New Jersey Devils, which the Kings won 4–2.[12] Despite being an unused backup throughout the playoffs, Bernier's name was engraved on the Stanley Cup.[13] He started 14 games for the Kings during the 2012–13 season. On April 4, 2013, Bernier recorded a shutout in a 3–0 victory against the Minnesota Wild.[14] He ended his stint with the Los Angeles Kings with a record of 29–18–6.
Toronto Maple Leafs
On June 23, 2013, Bernier was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Matt Frattin, goaltender Ben Scrivens, and a second-round draft pick that Los Angeles had the option to use in either 2014 or 2015.[15]
In a pre-season game on September 22, 2013 against the Buffalo Sabres, Bernier engaged in a goalie fight with Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller. The Leafs went on to win the game 5–3. It was Bernier's first fight in a professional game.[16]
The early part of the 2013–14 season saw Bernier and James Reimer split playing time; however, as the season progressed, Bernier cemented himself as the starting goaltender. On March 14, in his first return to Los Angeles, Bernier played one period before leaving with a lower body injury.[17] He missed five games due to this injury, during which the Maple Leafs went 0–5. On April 3, during a last minute push for a playoff birth, Bernier suffered another lower body injury against the Boston Bruins which required surgery.[18] Reimer replaced Bernier for the rest of the season, but the Maple Leafs were unable to make the playoffs.
In December 2014, Bernier drew media attention when he mistakenly described former South African president and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela as "one of the most known athletes in the world" while attending a charity event commemorating Mandela in Toronto. Bernier later apologized, stating he was embarrassed by the error and had meant to praise Mandela's humanitarian contributions.[19]
Anaheim Ducks
With one year remaining on his contract, Bernier was traded by the Maple Leafs to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on July 8, 2016 (the conditions were not met).[20] Reunited with Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle, who had been Bernier's coach in the early part of his time with the Maple Leafs, he assumed the backup goaltender duties behind John Gibson for the 2016–17 season.[21] Bernier made his Ducks debut in a 3–2 defeat to the reigning champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, on October 15, 2016.[22] He collected his first win with the Ducks in a 4–1 result over the Calgary Flames on November 6, 2016.[23]
Bernier filled in for an injured Gibson as the starting goaltender in the final stages of the regular season. Bernier went 13 straight games without a regulation loss during the regular season. He finished the regular season having played in 39 games, winning 21 of them.[24] He recorded two shutouts in this during the season, shutting out the Arizona Coyotes on January 14 and the Chicago Blackhawks on March 9.[25][26] Gibson returned to the starting role in time for the playoffs. Bernier made his first playoff appearance for the Ducks in the third game against the Calgary Flames, when he replaced Gibson mid-game in 5–4 comeback victory.[27] His next appearance in the playoffs was in the Western Conference Finals, when Gibson was injured in 3–1 defeat to the Nashville Predators on May 20, 2017.[28] Bernier made his first career playoff start the following game in Game 6, but allowed 4 goals in 16 shots as the Ducks were eliminated on May 22, 2017.[29]
Colorado Avalanche
Bernier with the Colorado Avalanche in 2017
Bernier's contract with the Ducks expired on 1 July 2017, leaving him an unrestricted free agent. The same day, he signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche.[30] However, his 2017–18 season with the Avalanche was riddled with injuries. Bernier suffered an upper body injury on October 25, 2017, in a game against the San Jose Sharks,[31] and a head injury on February 16, 2018, which caused him to miss 10 games.[32][33] Shortly after returning, he suffered a second head injury on March 10, 2018, in a game against the Arizona Coyotes,[34][32] and in late March an infection kept him out for three games.[32] The Avalanche made the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, where Bernier started Game 1 against the Nashville Predators due to an injury to first-choice goaltender Semyon Varlamov.[35] Bernier was himself injured in Game 4 and was replaced by Andrew Hammond in the third period.[36] Hammond started the following two games as the Avalanche were eliminated in six games.[37]
Detroit Red Wings
With his contract again expiring in the summer, Bernier left the Avalanche as a free agent. He agreed to a three-year, $9 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1, 2018.[38][39] In Detroit, he became the backup to starting goaltender Jimmy Howard. On November 8, 2019, in a game against the Boston Bruins, Bernier recorded two assists, becoming the first Red Wings goalie to do so since Jim Rutherford in 1979.[40]
New Jersey Devils and retirement
On July 22, 2021, as a pending unrestricted free agent, Bernier was traded by the Red Wings after three seasons with the team to the Carolina Hurricanes, along with a third-round pick, in exchange for Alex Nedeljkovic.[41] Unable to agree to terms with the Hurricanes, on July 28, 2021, Bernier signed as a free agent a two-year, $8.25 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.[42]
After missing the majority of the 2021–22 season[43] and the entirety of the 2022–23 season due to injury, Bernier officially announced his retirement on August 21, 2023.[44]
Bernier married Martine Forget, a Canadian model, on July 23, 2016.[45][46] They have two sons, Tyler (born August 2014) and Brady (born April 2019), and a daughter, Ivy (born December 2020).[47][48] Bernier was a groomsman at the wedding of Meghan Agosta and Marco Marciano, the goaltending coach of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL on August 31, 2012.[49]
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