The New York Islanders will not sign 2021 fourth-round pick (No. 125) Cameron Berg to an entry-level contract (ELC) by the August 15 deadline.
Berg, a forward, scored 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 26 games with the University of North Dakota last season. He also scored two points — both goals — in three games with the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League to close the season.
He has signed an AHL contract with Bridgeport for 2025-26, where he will compete for ice time against fellow centers Liam Foudy, Matthew Highmore, and potentially Calum Ritchie.
The 23-year-old is still eligible to sign an NHL deal with the Islanders. However, since he is only on an AHL deal and the Islanders will lose his rights, any NHL team can sign him to an NHL contract.
That's unlikely to happen.
Why did the Islanders not just sign him to an ELC? Well, the Islanders currently have just two contract spots available, but Berg could earn his way to an ELC with a strong rookie season.
He will need to make an impact in all aspects of the game, something he has already shown in college, as both Islanders GM Mathieu Darche and Bridgeport’s new head coach Rocky Thompson have shared their ideas on developing a winning culture.
“[Young players] got to earn their ice time in the minors, too,” Darche said after appointing Thompson to be head coach in June.
“That’s the mindset I want the players to have. That’s the culture we want to have. Like to use an expression, you eat what you kill. So I think Rocky will do a great job for that.”
For Thompson, building personal connections and a positive environment will be crucial in getting Bridgeport back to the playoffs.
“We’re no longer [going to be] the punching bag of the American Hockey League. So this is a fresh start for everybody... Like I said, I’m very demanding, and so [our players are] going to have a lot of fun. That’s the most important thing, I think, when this game is fun, when you come to the rink, they’re not going to see me walking down the hall, always holding a computer in my hand, showing them what they did wrong.”
Rocky Thompson's Plan To Building A Winning Culture In Bridgeport
<b>LOS ANGELES -- </b>On Thursday afternoon, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/why-mathieu-darche-believes-rocky-thompson-is-the-right-guy-to-lead-bridgeport-s-bench">Bridgeport Islanders</a> head coach <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/why-mathieu-darche-believes-rocky-thompson-is-the-right-guy-to-lead-bridgeport-s-bench">Rocky Thompson</a> addressed the media for the first time since the <a href="http://thn.com/isles">New York Islanders</a> announced his hiring on June 23.
Berg will need to showcase his aggressive forechecking ability while still maintaining a positive offensive impact.
Although he is likely to start the 2025-26 season in Bridgeport’s bottom six, a completely new coaching staff led by a coach who has made it clear that “everybody” will get a fresh slate means a strong training camp and preseason could earn him a more secure spot in the forward group.
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