Berard started playing hockey when he was just two years old. He credits his dad David for his love of the sport. David Berard played college hockey at Providence and is currently the head coach at Holy Cross. “I started because my dad played college hockey,” he said.

Is Bryan Berard blind?

The Senators drafted Berard with the No. 1 pick in 1995, but he never signed with Ottawa and was eventually traded to the New York Islanders. ... When he returned, Berard believes he was playing at 65-70 percent due to his lost vision in his right eye.

What happened to Bryan Berard?

On March 11, 2000, during a game between the Maple Leafs and the Senators in Ottawa, the stick of the Senators' Marian Hossa clipped Berard in the right eye on a follow through, severely injuring it. The eye was severely slashed on the sclera which resulted in a retinal tear and a detached retina.