Goaltender Jonathan Bernier confirmed the obvious on Monday: He is retiring from professional hockey, ending a 14-year National League career.
The Quebec native took to his Instagram to announce what he had left open a few weeks earlier. In July, he described his chances of returning to golf while at Le Mirage Golf Club as “very slim,” TVA Sports reported. Finally, Bernier played his last game with the New Jersey Devils on December 3, 2021 and a hip injury has impacted his fitness and the pain becomes excruciating whenever he steps in front of a net.
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“After 14 years it’s time for me to hang up my leggings,” he wrote, thanking the six formations of the Bettman Circuit for which he developed. There are not enough words to express my gratitude to everyone who has been a part of my hockey journey from day one. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Ranked 11th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2006, Bernier had 165 wins and 18 shutouts in 404 regular-season games. In the spring of 2012, he won the Stanley Cup as an assistant to Jonathan Quick. As a singles player, he had 26 wins with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013-14.