Phil Berger (ice hockey)

Last updated
Phil Berger
Born (1966-12-03) December 3, 1966 (age 57)
Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for Northern Michigan
Fort Wayne Komets
Greensboro Monarchs
Halifax Citadels
Muskegon Fury
Cornwall Aces
Detroit Falcons
Schalker Sharks
Charlotte Checkers
El Paso Buzzards
San Antonio Dragons
Raleigh IceCaps
Hampton Roads Admirals
Greensboro Generals
NHL draft 1988 NHL Supplemental Draft
Quebec Nordiques
Playing career 1985–2000

Philip Berger (born December 3, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey right wing and coach who was an All-American for Northern Michigan and a member of the ECHL Hall of Fame. [1]

Contents

Career

Berger began playing for the Northern Michigan Wildcats in 1985 but found it difficult to get into games. In his first two seasons, Berger played in only about half of NMU's contests but did show some improvement as a sophomore. In his junior season, Berger finally played most of the games and his scoring production skyrocketed. He nearly quadrupled his career scoring totals and finished in the top 10 in the nation. He was named an All-American and scored almost a quarter of Northern Michigan's goals for the season. Unfortunately, the wildcats weren't very good and knocked out in the conference quarterfinals. Berger's late blooming caused the Quebec Nordiques to take a flyer on him with the 3rd selection in the 1988 Supplemental Draft.

Though Berger's offensive numbers dipped in his senior season, he was again top-10 in the country and led the Wildcats to a renaissance. The Wildcats finished second in the WCHA and won their first WCHA Championship. [2] Northern Michigan returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 8 years but were knocked out of the first round 1–2.

The following season, Berger began his professional career in the IHL but soon found himself demoted to the ECHL. He soon grew accustomed to the league and led the Greensboro Monarchs in scoring despite missing 14 games. He led the team on a run through the playoffs with 11 goals, 6 more than the next highest Monarch, and captured the Riley Cup as league champions. Berger got a brief promotion to the AHL the following year but spent the bulk of the year back in Greensboro. His scoring dropped for the regular season but his playoff performance was even more impressive, finishing 3rd overall despite Greensboro losing the championship.

In 1992, Berger Put together a spectacular season, averaging a goal per game as he played the entire year in Greensboro and led the league in scoring. He was named the ECHL MVP and led the Monarchs to the East Conference Championship. He was a force in the postseason again, leading his team in goals, assists and points, but Greensboro fell in the conference finals. He finished out the year with the Fort Wayne Komets, adding 6 points in 4 IHL postseason games. The massive amount of scoring he had done in 1992 led Berger receiving a promotion to the IHL in 1993 but, despite producing 7 points in 8 games, he eventually found himself back with the Monarchs. Even though he missed almost a third of the team's games he still finished second in scoring for Greensboro.

Berger had another monster season in 1994, leading the ECHL in scoring even with a brief callup to the AHL. The next season he split between Greenboro, Detroit and Schalker but a knee injury limited his effectiveness during the season. He returned in force for the postseason, again pacing the Monarchs as they marched to the Finals. In 1996, Berger briefly halted his playing career to take over as the head coach for the West Palm Beach Barracudas. He did so in part to give his knee a chance to recover and because the Barracudas' regular head coach, Bill Nyrop, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. [3] He surrendered the reigns midseason and returned to the ECHL, however, because the Monarchs franchise had been promoted to the AHL, Berger joined the Charlotte Checkers. He played well at the end of the regular season but, as was his want, he turned up his scoring in the playoffs. He led all players with 10 goals and 27 points, helping the Checkers run through the postseason without a loss and capture the Riley Trophy.

The following year, Berger ended up playing for five different teams in three different leagues, ending up on the El Paso Buzzards. He won the inaugural WPHL championship, again as a major contributor in the playoffs, and retired after the season. Berger returned two years later when the ECHL returned to Greensboro in the form of the Generals. He lasted just 5 scoreless games before retiring for good as the league's all-time leading scorer in the postseason. He was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2011. [4]

Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular Season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1982–83 Paddock Pool Saints GLJHL 4529447352—————
1983–84 Stratford Cullitons MWJHL 385555110101—————
1984–85Stratford CullitonsMWJHL37435295102—————
1985–86 Northern Michigan WCHA 2152720—————
1986–87 Northern MichiganWCHA241110216—————
1987–88 Northern MichiganWCHA3840327222—————
1988–89 Northern MichiganWCHA4430336324—————
1989–90 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 32242—————
1989–90 Greensboro Monarchs ECHL 46384482119101131432
1990–91 Halifax Citadels AHL 41010—————
1990–91 Greensboro MonarchsECHL442234561121311112217
1991–92 Greensboro MonarchsECHL606070130158118132156
1991–92 Fort Wayne KometsIHL—————43360
1992–93 Muskegon Fury CoHL 447112—————
1992–93 Fort Wayne KometsIHL825714—————
1992–93 Greensboro MonarchsECHL45334275135111226
1993–94 Cornwall Aces AHL22130—————
1993–94 Greensboro MonarchsECHL685683139118835812
1994–95 Detroit Falcons CoHL1511152629—————
1994–95Schalker Haie 87 Germany2 20112—————
1994–95 Greensboro MonarchsECHL40232750114176172346
1995–96 Charlotte Checkers ECHL23101424801610172732
1996–97 San Antonio Dragons IHL40000—————
1996–97 Charlotte CheckersECHL125131824—————
1996–97 Raleigh IceCaps ECHL203192220—————
1996–97 Hampton Roads Admirals ECHL21232—————
1996–97 El Paso Buzzards WPHL 445969871518
1999–00 Greensboro Generals ECHL500010—————
ECHL totals365251348599892765067117221
CoHL totals1915223731—————
IHL totals1547111643360

Awards and honors

AwardYear
All-WCHA First Team 1987–88 [5]
AHCA West Second-Team All-American 1987–88 [1]
All-WCHA Second team 1988–89 [5]
WCHA All-Tournament Team 1989 [6]
ECHL Riley Cup 1990
ECHL Second Team All-Star 1991–92
ECHL First Team All-Star 1993–94
ECHL Riley Cup 1996
WPHL President's Cup 1997

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ECHL</span> Ice hockey league in North America

The ECHL is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The league serves as a farm system to the AHL and the National Hockey League (NHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina Stingrays</span> Minor league ice hockey team

The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Carolina Ice Palace, also located in North Charleston, serves as a practice facility and backup arena. Established in 1993, the team has been owned by a group of local businesses since 1995. The team was affiliated with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League from 2004 to July 2012, when the Capitals announced their affiliation with the ECHL's Reading Royals. On June 26, 2014, the Washington Capitals announced an affiliation agreement with the Stingrays for the 2014–15 season.

Patrick J. "Pat" Kelly is an American retired ice hockey coach who co-founded and served as the first commissioner of the East Coast Hockey League. He is the namesake of the Kelly Cup. Kelly also coached the Colorado Rockies for two years and the Birmingham Bulls in the late-1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cincinnati Cyclones</span> Professional ice hockey team

The Cincinnati Cyclones are an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati. The team is a member of the ECHL. Originally established in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at Heritage Bank Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina Thunderbirds</span> Defunct professional ice hockey team

The Carolina Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. The Thunderbirds played their home games at the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum before the arena was demolished in 1989. The team played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League from 1981 to 1987, the All-American Hockey League during 1987–88 and finally moved into the newly created East Coast Hockey League in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensboro Monarchs</span> Defunct minor professional ice hockey team

The Greensboro Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Monarchs joined the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) as an expansion franchise prior to the start of the 1989–90 season and surrendered the franchise back to the league when the Monarchs ownership obtained an expansion franchise in the American Hockey League (AHL) at the conclusion of the 1994–95 ECHL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Ling</span> Canadian ice hockey player

David Gregory Ling is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Ling was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the 7th round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Tapper</span> Ice hockey player

Brad Tapper is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Atlanta Thrashers over parts of three seasons. After retiring from playing, he remained active in hockey as a coach in different professional hockey organisations in the US, Canada, and Germany. He is currently a co-trainer with ERC Ingolstadt in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) and was, before that, head coach of the Iserlohn Roosters, also in the DEL. Previously, he worked with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL), spent a year as the head coach of the Adirondack Thunder in the ECHL, and was an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans (AHL), Chicago Wolves (AHL), Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), and Florida Everblades (ECHL).

Gordon M. Dineen is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and coach who most recently served as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. He is a former head coach for the AHL's Toronto Marlies and a longtime assistant with several other teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrod Skalde</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Jarrod Skalde is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He was most recently the head coach of Slovak ice hockey team Vlci Zilina in Tipos Slovenská hokejová liga. His goal for the 2022-2023 season was to promote with Žilina to Tipos extraliga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Gordon (ice hockey)</span> American ice hockey player and coach

Scott M. Gordon is an American professional ice hockey coach and former professional goaltender. He is currently an assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks. He previously served as the head coach of the NHL's New York Islanders from 2008 to 2010 and the head coach of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers in the 2018–19, and, as well as the head coach of the Providence Bruins and Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL) between 2002 and 2021. Before coaching he played 23 games in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques during the 1989–90 and 1990–91 seasons, and in the minor leagues from 1986 to 1994. Internationally he played for the American national team at the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1991 World Championships. Gordon was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, but grew up in Easton, Massachusetts.

The 1994–95 ECHL season was the seventh season of the ECHL. Before the season started, the Huntsville Blast moved their operations from Huntsville, AL to Tallahassee, FL and became the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks and the Louisville IceHawks suspended operations. The Wheeling Thunderbirds finished first overall in the regular season and the Richmond Renegades won their first Riley Cup, defeating the Greensboro Monarchs four games to one.

Kenton Smith is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Murphy (ice hockey, born 1983)</span> American ice hockey player and coach

Ryan Murphy is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played five seasons in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs, Hartford Wolf Pack, and Peoria Rivermen. He also played in the ECHL with the Charlotte Checkers. Murphy was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 6th round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He was an assistant coach for the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL in the 2013–14 season. He was an assistant coach for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League from 2014 to 2018 under head coach Troy Mann, and then followed Mann to the Belleville Senators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Micflikier</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Jacob Micflikier is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He last played for the Växjö Lakers in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Checkers</span> American Hockey League team in Charlotte, North Carolina

The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Checkers play their home games at Bojangles' Coliseum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Carrick</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1994)

Trevor Carrick is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing with the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was selected in the fourth round, 115th overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Mersch</span> American ice hockey player

Michael Mersch is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 4th round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander True</span> Danish ice hockey player (born 1997)

Alexander True is a Danish professional ice hockey centre currently playing for MoDo Hockey in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

Troy Loggins is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for Tahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL.

References

  1. 1 2 "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "Northern Michigan Wildcats Men's Ice Hockey Record Book" (PDF). Northern Michigan Wildcats. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  3. ↑ "BERGER TRADES SKATES FOR SUITS". Greensboro News & Record. November 9, 1995. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Phil Berger". ECHL. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "WCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  6. ↑ "WCHA Tourney History". WCHA. Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by ECHL Most Valuable Player
1991–92 		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.