- Steve Bernier
Infobox Ice Hockey Player
image_size = 250px
position = Right Wing
shoots = Right
height_ft = 6
height_in = 2
weight_lb = 225
team =Vancouver Canucks
former_teams =San Jose Sharks Buffalo Sabres
league = NHL
nationality = Canada
birth_date = birth date and age|1985|3|31
birth_place = Quebec City, QUE, CAN
career_start = 2005
draft = 16th overall
draft_year = 2003
draft_team =San Jose Sharks
nickname = Big Bear, el chatSteve Bernier (born
March 31 ,1985 , inQuebec City, Quebec ) is a professional Canadianice hockey forward who currently plays for theVancouver Canucks of theNational Hockey League .Playing career
Junior career
Bernier played the entirety of his four-season junior career with the
Moncton Wildcats of theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League . In his rookie year, he led Moncton in goals and finished fourth among QMJHL rookies in overall scoring; he was named to the 2001-02 QMJHL All-Rookie Team. His most productive junior season came in his draft year, 2002-03, when he scored 49 goals and 101 points, ninth in league scoring. He was also named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team and won Moncton's MVP award.Fact|date=July 2008 Interntaionally, he competed in the 2003 World U18 Championships, for Team Canada, finishing second in team scoring behindMarc-Antoine Pouliot , en route to a gold medal.Although Bernier put up impressive numbers, many scouts were concerned with his physical conditioning and skating ability.Fact|date=July 2008 That did not stop the
San Jose Sharks , however, from trading the 21st, 66th and 107th selections in order to draft him sixteenth overall in the2003 NHL Entry Draft .Playing two more season with Moncton, Bernier was named once more to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team in 2003-04. Helping lead Moncton to the 2004 QMJHL Finals, he scored 7 goals and 10 assists in 20 playoff games. However, the Wildcats were eliminated by Gatineau in five games.
During the
2004–05 NHL lockout , Bernier was reportedly getting bored with Moncton and their stifling defensive system. Bernier hinted at playing in the new WHA, but he eventually returned to Moncton.Fact|date=July 2008 In 68 games, Bernier tallied 71 points (tops in team scoring) and 114 penalty minutes, but it marked the second straight season his stats had dropped. Soon after being eliminated in the second round, the Sharks signed Bernier to his first pro contract.Fact|date=July 2008Pro career
Bernier started his first professional season, 2005–06, with the
Cleveland Barons , the Sharks'American Hockey League affiliate. After tallying 43 points in 49 games, the Sharks called Bernier up to NHL. He scored 14 goals and added 13 assists in 39 games for a successful rookie season. In the playoffs, he added 1 goal and 5 assists in 11 games, as San Jose was eliminated in the second round.Midway through his sophomore season, Bernier was sent back to the AHL after an 8-0 loss to the
Phoenix Coyotes . [citeweb|title=Sharks demote two top youngsters to AHL|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2717983|date=2007-01-02|accessdate=2008-07-06|publisher=ESPN] However, Bernier soon broke his toe and missed a month's worth of games. After rehabilitation and 10 games with Worcester (San Jose's new AHL affiliate), Bernier rejoined the Sharks in late February.Fact|date=July 2008On
February 26 , at the 2007-08 trade dealine, Bernier was sent to theBuffalo Sabres along with a 1st round draft pick in exchange forBrian Campbell and a seventh round pick. The next day, in his Sabres debut, Bernier scored two goals on his first two shots and later added an assist, helping Buffalo to an 8–4 win over theNashville Predators . At the time,Thomas Vanek wore number 26 for the Sabres, so Bernier chose the number 56 instead.As Bernier became a restricted free agent at the end of the season, he was traded to the
Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a second round draft pick in 2010 and a third round draft pick in 2009 (Los Angeles' selection). While Bernier was admittedly surprised with the trade, he expressed approval in moving to Vancouver. [citeweb|title=Canucks acquire Steve Bernier from Sabres|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008/07/04/steve-bernier.html|accessdate=2008-07-06|2008-07-04|publisher=CBC Sports] Four days later, he was extended a one-year $2.5 million offer sheet by the St. Louis Blues, which the Canucks quickly matched. [citeweb|title=Canucks match Blues' offer, keep Bernier|url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/24146709.html?location_refer=Wild:highlightModules:1|accessdate=2008-07-09|date=2008-07-09|publisher=Star Tribute]Awards & achievements
*QMJHL All-Rookie Team - 2002
*CHL Second All-Star Team - 2003Fact|date=July 2008
*QMJHL Second All-Star Team - 2003, 2004Transactions
*
June 22 ,2003 - selected in the first round, sixteenth overall in the2003 NHL Entry Draft
*February 26 ,2008 - traded to theBuffalo Sabres with a first round draft pick in 2008 (Tyler Ennis ) forBrian Campbell and seventh round draft pick in 2008 (Drew Daniels )
*July 4 ,2008 - traded to theVancouver Canucks for a second round draft pick in 2010 and a third round draft pick in 2009
*July 8 ,2008 - signed a one-year $2.5 million contract offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues as a restricted free agent; Canucks matchCareer statistics
References
External links
*hockeydb|62298
*TSN-NHL-profile|2837
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?statsId=3354 Player Card at ESPN.com]
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