[Devils-list] Berard to attempt return : to sign with the New York Rangers

[WORLOK]

That's cool.  The kid has heart.  I wish him all the luck in the world. 
It would be great for him to come back after such a tough break.  I just
hope that if he does he wears an eye shield to protect the good eye!


>>---worlok---->


JM2714@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Berard to attempt return to ice
> By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY
> Defenseman Bryan Berard will sign a NHL tryout contract next week to
> begin a remarkable comeback story that seemed like an impossibility
> after he suffered a horrendous eye injury in a NHL game, March 11,
> 2000.
> Berard, 24, is expected to sign with the New York Rangers, although as
> of Friday evening a few other teams were still making bids to land the
> former No. 1 draft pick. Word around the NHL was that the Phoenix
> Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers,
> Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues had all made overtures.
> The official announcement will come early next week, after Berard
> completes negotiations with insurance companies that paid him $6.5
> million because doctors concluded that the damage to his right eye
> constituted a career-ending injury. Berard was playing for the Toronto
> Maple Leafs when he was struck in the eye by Marian Hossa's stick as
> Hossa followed through on a shot. The damage was extensive enough that
> surgeons pondered removing the eye that night.
> The injury was considered career ending because Berard couldn't meet
> the minimum 20/400-vision standard required by NHL rules.
> However, several factors convinced Berard over the last two months
> that he could play again â?? including receiving a specially designed
> contract lens that doctors hope will allow him to pass the NHL eye
> test. If not, Berard has been advised that Casey Martin's successful
> challenge of the PGA's cart standard through use of the Americans with
> Disabilities Act makes it seem likely that the NHL would be unable to
> prevent him from playing again.
> The major reason why Berard decided to launch a comeback is that he
> believes he has adjusted well to the virtual blindness in his right
> eye. Wanting to get in shape, Berard started playing pickup hockey and
> realized he didn't have any trouble handling the puck.
> He has also been living in the weight room, and those who saw him at
> the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in Colorado Springs earlier this
> month were surprised at how much he had beefed up since he officially
> retired. Many of the players at the Olympic camp said he played so
> well that they quickly forget he was legally blind in one eye.
> What makes Berard's pursuit of a comeback more poignant is that he
> will in essence end up paying a substantial amount of money for the
> chance to wear a NHL jersey again. Although no one is talking about
> negotiations with the insurance company, it's obvious that insurance
> companies will want him to return a portion of the money they paid to
> him.
> The buzz around the league is that Berard is going to receive a
> four-year deal guaranteeing him about $2 million for the first year,
> with the team holding the option of picking up the final three years
> at $3 million, $3 1/4 million and $3.5 million.
> Because his insurance payment was tax free, it would take Berard three
> years at that pay level to regain the money he will have to re-pay
> insurance companies. That speaks to how badly he wants to play again
> If the Rangers, or another team's sign Berard to the tryout contract,
> they get the opportunity to watch him in training camp before making
> the final decision of committing the $2 million guarantee. The Rangers
> are a logical choice for Berard for several reasons â?? including the
> fact he is from Rhode Island and it's only a three-hour trip for his
> family to attend his games.
> Berard is an unrestricted free agent because the Maple Leafs didn't
> make him a qualifying offer after the injury.
> Players have played in the minor leagues while blind in one eye, and
> former NHL player Willie O'Ree admitted after he retired that he had
> played his entire pro career with vision in only one eye. Berard will
> wear a half shield in his comeback.