Bryan Berard (March 5, 1977 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA-) is an American professional ice hockey player who plays defence for the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks. He is most noted for a debilitating eye injury he received early in his career.
He was drafted First Overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft but traded while still a prospect along with Damian Rhodes for Wade Redden and Martin Straka to the New York Islanders. He was a successful player on the Islanders and he played for the United States in the 1998 Winter Olympics. After four years on Long Island he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2000 while Berard was playing for the Leafs in a game against the Senators the stick of Marian Hossa clipped Berard in the eye severely injuring it. He missed the entire next season and for a time was expected to never play again. He regained partial vision in the eye, however, and signed with the New York Rangers the next year. The injury has hurt his play, but he has been solid in stints in Boston and Chicago.
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