THN.com/podcast. From THN On The 'A': Way Too Early Calder Cup Outlook and Tomasino Call-Up Jonathan Bernier [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwMjQwOTQ5MzU4NTAzMDIw/usatsi_17286364_168400847_lowres.jpg] Jonathan Bernier Jonathan Bernier called it an NHL career. The 35-year-old from Laval, Que., announced on Instagram he's heading into the next chapter after 14 seasons split between the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils. Bernier missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a hip injury, and he only played 10 games for New Jersey in the season prior for the same reason. But from Los Angeles selecting him 11th overall in the 2006 draft to his final game on Dec. 3, 2021, Bernier appeared in 404 regular-season games, with 363 of those being starts. The six-foot netminder posted a 165-163-40 record, a 2.77 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage and 18 shutouts. Bernier also appeared in nine playoff games between the Kings, Ducks and Avalanche, with a 2-5 record, 3.35 goals-against average and .885 save percentage. "There are no words to express my gratitude to everyone who has been part of my hockey journey since Day 1; without all of you, I couldn't have done it," Bernier wrote on his post. "To my lovely wife, kids and family, thank you for always being by my side through the ups and downs. You have always supported me and helped me achieve my childhood dream and be my biggest fans." It took a couple of seasons for Bernier to rise onto the NHL scene after his big-league debut on Sept. 29, 2007, when he stopped 26 of 27 shots against the Ducks for the win. He became longtime Kings starter Jonathan Quick's backup in 2010-11, and he held his ground with respectable numbers for three years. Bernier won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2012 but didn't appear in the playoffs because of Quick's lights-out play, so the NHL world really took notice of Bernier in 2012-13, when he had a 1.87 GAA and .922 save percentage. The Maple Leafs saw potential in Bernier as a starting goalie, so they traded for him in June 2013. He improved his save percentage to .923 that year and played in 55 games. The Leafs, however, missed the playoffs every season Bernier was on the team, and his numbers slipped to a 2.88 GAA and .908 save percentage in 2015-16. Toronto then traded Bernier to Anaheim ahead of 2016-17, where he played the final year of his two-year, $8.3-million contract [https://puckpedia.com/player/jonathan-bernier]. After that, he went to Colorado on a one-year, $2.75-million deal to back up Semyon Varlamov, but he took a much larger share of the games than his time in Los Angeles, with 34 starts and a 19-13-3 record to show for it. That earned him a three-year contract with the Red Wings, including taking the starting role from Jimmy Howard in 2019-20. Bernier seemed on the rise once again despite a high 2.95 GAA in 2019-20 and 2.99 GAA in '20-21 – he played on a rebuilding team and posted a decent .914 save percentage in his last year with the Red Wings. The Devils saw the upside in him and gave him the money he had in Toronto, with a two-year contract worth $4.125 annually. Unfortunately, that's when the hip issues began. Now, Bernier's contract is expired, and he decided it's time to set aside any thoughts about trying to return to the ice and enjoy retirement with his family after a lengthy NHL career to be proud of.
