Tarrytown NY: Rangers prospects show skills at development camp
NY Rangers prospects skate during a development camp at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown July 1, 2025.
STAMFORD, Conn. − In a transparent moment prior to the third annual Shoulder Check Showcase at Terry Conners Rink on July 24, Rangers forward Brett Berard revealed that he played most of the 2024-25 season with a torn labrum.
He sustained the injury in his fourth career NHL game on Nov. 30 against Montreal, sat out the next three contests, then returned Dec. 9 and played his final 31 games (plus another 14 with AHL Hartford) while gutting his way through the pain.
It forced him to back out of his commitment to play for Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championships, where he missed out on a gold-medal run. But the long offseason has helped him make a full recovery without needing surgery.
“It was really kind of just a normal hit,” Berard said while describing the cause of the tear. “I just went in weird. I’ve never had any shoulder problems. Knock on wood, hopefully this will be the last one. But it didn’t feel great at all.”
The obvious question is why the 22-year-old came back so quickly, rather than allowing proper time for the injury to heal?
But as Berard pointed out, that critic lacks context. For a long-shot prospect who was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 draft and had to claw his way up the organizational ladder, bowing out due to what he deemed manageable discomfort was not an option.
“It’s one of those things where you’re up in the NHL (and) you work your whole life for it,” he said. “I felt like I was playing pretty good hockey, too, so you don’t want to really lose that. So, I just tried to play through it.”
There’s no telling how much the injury affected Berard’s performance, but he showed enough to pique the Rangers’ interest heading into next season.
There were flashes of the offensive touch he displayed while leading Hartford with 25 goals in 2023-24. Berard chipped in six tallies in his first 35 NHL appearances, including a spirited two-goal effort against the rival Islanders in the second-to-last game of the season.
Secondary scoring is needed from New York’s bottom six, but Berard’s chances of becoming a lineup regular will depend on the attributes he described as strengths − “speed, energy, tenacity and hockey sense.”
That sounds like just the type of forward new head coach Mike Sullivan is looking for to execute his “up-tempo” system and layered 1-2-2 forecheck.
“Everything I’ve heard about him is awesome, so I’m super excited to get started,” Berard said. “I think I do things that he likes from his players. But for me, it’s just continue to play my game with confidence.”
They’ve already had a few interactions, with Berard opting to spend his summer in the New York/Connecticut area and train with a group of established NHLers at Stamford’s Prentiss Hockey Performance, including Rangers teammates Adam Fox, Matt Rempe and Jonathan Quick.
He’s hoping that will give him a head start in what’s expected to be a crowded competition for the final few roster slots.
“I’ve put on some weight so far, so that’s been good,” said Berard, who finished last season listed at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds. “But I just need to treat it like a first impression. Even though I’ve been in the organization for a few years now, it’s a new coaching staff. … I want to show what I can do right from the start.”
He’ll be jockeying with players who have more prospect glow, specifically former first-round picks Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault. There may only be one available spot between the three young wingers, especially now that veteran Taylor Raddysh has been signed to a two-year deal and Sullivan favorite Conor Sheary has been added on a professional tryout contract (PTO).
But don’t discount Berard’s chances just because he lacks the perceived upside of Othmann and Perreault. The latter will only be 20 years old this season, with multiple sources believing the organization’s top prospect would benefit from AHL time. The Rangers want to groom Perreault for an eventual top-six role, which may leave Berard and Othmann to duke it out for the opening-night lineup.
The only position we can safely assume is up for grabs will be third-line left wing, where Sullivan is expected to prioritize high-motor players who can handle difficult matchup assignments. That should be right in Berard’s wheelhouse, as long as he continues to tighten up defensively. (His 3.19 xGA/60 ranked last among New York players who appeared in at least 20 games last season, according to Evolving Hockey.)
He says he’s not looking at it that way − “Anything can happen,” he wisely noted − and preparing for all outcomes, including the possibility of shifting to right wing.
“I’ve worked on a lot of rims and (defensive) zone and stuff like that to get more comfortable,” he added.
That’s the right mindset to have, with that take-nothing-for-granted attitude helping Berard overcome the odds and work his way firmly into the NHL mix.
He deemed the labrum “a lot better now” and plans to be a full go for training camp, where no one should be surprised if the Providence, Rhode Island native begins to cement himself.
“I’m really looking forward to the start of the year,” he said. “Getting a taste of it last year, I know it’s cliché, but I’m just hungry for more. The opportunity comes in September.”
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.