Daniel Berthiaume

Daniel J. Berthiaume (born January 26, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, and Ottawa Senators.

Playing career Known as "The Bandit" during his hockey career, Berthiaume was a standout goaltender in junior hockey, playing for the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL. During the 1984-85 season, Berthiaume won 40 games for the Saguenéens, a feat made more impressive in that the team won 41 games that season.

Following this impressive year, he was drafted 60th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1985 NHL entry draft. After his final year of junior hockey, he made his NHL debut that spring during the playoffs.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets faced the Calgary Flames in the first round. Veteran goaltender Dan Bouchard started Game 1, but was relieved by Brian Hayward after giving up five goals. Hayward started Game 2 but after surrendering six goals, he was yanked, and Marc Behrend finished up the game. For Game 3, with the Jets on the brink of elimination, Berthiaume made his NHL debut and dazzled, making 39 saves before ultimately losing in overtime when Hall of Famer Lanny McDonald found the back of the net.

In the offseason, the Jets acquired Steve Penney from the Montreal Canadiens. Penney was expected to be their starter, but Berthiaume and fellow rookie Eldon "Pokey" Reddick seized the job and formed a solid platoon, known as "Pokey and the Bandit" playing on the popular movie series Smokey and the Bandit. Berthiaume posted an impressive 18-7-3 record in 31 games during his rookie NHL season of 1986-87. During his second season in the NHL, Berthiaume assumed the starting job in Winnipeg and posted a career-best 22 wins. The following season, he struggled and spent the bulk of the year toiling in the minors; Reddick took over the starting job with the Jets, supported by veteran Alain Chevrier and rookie Bob Essensa. Berthiaume was back with the Jets for the 1989-90 season, but Essensa was then the club's starter.

Berthiaume came under fire for allegedly swearing at children seeking his autograph. On January 22, 1990, he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for future considerations. Mike Smith, general manager of the Jets, said Berthiaume's trade was related to his off-ice actions. The goalie apologized on television for swearing at autograph seekers, then a day later denied the incident took place and said he had been ordered to apologize by team management.

Minnesota North Stars Goaltender Jon Casey handled the bulk of the duties for the North Stars, so Berthiuame appeared in just five games for Minnesota, managing just one win and a mediocre 3.50 goals against average. Prior totraining camp in 1990, Berthiaume was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Craig Duncanson.

Los Angeles Kings With the Kings, Berthiaume served as the backup to veteran Kelly Hrudey and performed well enough to win 20 games. His improved play didn't last, and he struggled the next season, 1991–92, posting a 4.04 goals against average while managing just seven wins in 19 appearances. His uneven play cost him his job and he was shipped to Boston for future considerations on January 18, 1992.

Boston Bruins The Bruins had Andy Moog firmly entrenched in their starter role with veteran Réjean Lemelin as his backup. When Lemelin suffered a groin injury, they were in need of some depth. The Bruins brought in Berthiaume but he did little to help, winning just one of eight starts for Boston. During the offseason, the Bruins traded him back to Winnipeg for Doug Evans.

Europe and the Ottawa Senators Berthiaume started the 1992-93 season playing for EC Graz in the Austria, but on December 15, 1992, he signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators. The first-year Senators leaned heavily on goaltender Peter Sidorkiewicz and while he faired admirably considering the heavy fire he took each night in their crease, his back-up, veteran Steve Weeks, was horribly over-matched posting a 7.23 goals against average. Berthiaume was brought in to backup Sidorkiewicz. He appeared in 25 games posting a 2-17-1 record for the lowly Senators. In the off-season, the Senators upgraded their goaltending by acquiring Craig Billington and they promoted rookie Darrin Madeley which pushed Berthiaume out of the crease. He made one appearance for Ottawa in the 1993-94 season and though it lasted just thirty-nine seconds, he surrendered two goals on two shots giving him a 184.62 goals against average for the season and zero save percentage. Late in the season he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings for Steve Konroyd, but he never suited up for the club making his final NHL appearance his 39 second stint for the Senators earlier that year.

In all, Berthiaume played in a total of 215 regular season NHL games during his career, posting a record of 81-91-21 with a goals against average of 3.67. He also appeared in 14 NHL playoff games, all with Winnipeg.

Minor Leagues After making his final NHL appearance with the Ottawa Senators during the 1993-94 season, he spent most of the remainder of his career in the ECHL with the Roanoke Express, where he spent seven seasons in three stints and often split duties with Dave Gagnon. He also played for the ECHL's Wheeling Thunderbirds, the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League, and the Central Texas Stampede of the WPHL where he won the Most Outstanding Goaltender honours for the 1996-97 season. He played his last season with the Port Huron Beacons of the United Hockey League before retiring in 2005.

Berthiaume also played professional roller hockey, tending goal for Roller Hockey International's New Jersey Rockin' Rollers in 1994, Motor City Mustangs in 1995, and Philadelphia Bulldogs in 1996.

Coaching career Berthiaume was the assistant coach of the Roanoke Valley Vipers in the United Hockey League at the start of their 2005-06 season., but on February 6, 2006 it was announced that Berthiaume would become the head coach, replacing Jim Wiley who lost his job in mid-season. He is married and has three sons. Alongside this he coaches the local youth hockey team.

Awards 1996-97: Outstanding Goaltender (WPHL)

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 1981–82 Richelieu Éclaireurs QMAAA 30 20 8 2 1797 125 0 4.17 — 2 0 2 207 18 0 5.22 — 1982–83 Richelieu Riverains QMAAA 44 23 12 8 2607 171 0 3.94 — 5 2 3 296 23 0 4.66 — 1983–84 Drummondville Voltigeurs QMJHL 28 12 13 0 1562 131 0 5.03 .863 3 — — 154 16 0 6.23 .828 1984–85 Drummondville Voltigeurs QMJHL 3 1 2 0 179 17 0 5.70 .837 — — — — — — — — 1984–85 Chicoutimi Saguenéens QMJHL 56 40 11 2 3168 198 2 3.75 .885 14 8 6 770 51 0 3.97 .888 1985–86 Chicoutimi Saguenéens QMJHL 66 34 29 3 3718 286 1 4.62 .874 9 4 5 580 37 0 3.83 .900 1985–86 Winnipeg Jets NHL — — — — — — — — — 1 0 1 68 4 0 3.51 .907 1986–87 Winnipeg Jets NHL 31 18 7 3 1755 93 1 3.18 .885 8 4 4 437 21 0 2.88 .900 1986–87 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 7 4 3 0 420 23 0 3.29 .883 — — — — — — — — 1987–88 Winnipeg Jets NHL 56 22 19 7 3004 176 2 3.52 .882 — — — — — — — — 1988–89 Winnipeg Jets NHL 9 0 8 0 443 44 0 5.96 .826 — — — — — — — — 1988–89 Moncton Hawks AHL 21 6 9 2 1083 76 0 4.21 .879 3 1 2 180 11 0 3.67 — 1989–90 Winnipeg Jets NHL 24 10 11 3 1387 86 1 3.72 .871 — — — — — — — — 1989–90 Minnesota North Stars NHL 5 1 3 0 240 14 0 3.49 .865 — — — — — — — — 1990–91 Los Angeles Kings NHL 37 20 11 4 2119 117 1 3.31 .892 — — — — — — — — 1991–92 Los Angeles Kings NHL 19 7 10 1 979 66 0 4.04 .878 — — — — — — — — 1991–92 Boston Bruins NHL 8 1 4 2 399 21 0 3.16 .865 — — — — — — — — 1992–93 EC Graz AUT 28 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1992–93 Ottawa Senators NHL 25 2 17 1 1326 95 0 4.30 .871 — — — — — — — — 1993–94 Ottawa Senators NHL 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 184.62 .000 — — — — — — — — 1993–94 PEI Senators AHL 30 8 16 3 1640 130 0 4.76 .869 — — — — — — — — 1993–94 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 11 7 2 0 552 35 0 3.80 .874 11 6 4 632 30 0 2.85 .898 1994–95 Providence Bruins AHL 2 0 1 1 126 7 0 3.32 .870 — — — — — — — — 1994–95 Wheeling Thunderbirds ECHL 10 6 1 1 600 41 0 4.10 .867 — — — — — — — — 1994–95 Roanoke Express ECHL 21 15 4 2 1196 47 0 2.36 .919 8 4 4 464 23 1 2.97 — 1994–95 Detroit Vipers IHL — — — — — — — — — 5 2 3 331 14 0 2.53 .926 1995–96 Detroit Vipers IHL 7 4 3 0 401 19 2 2.84 .898 — — — — — — — — 1995–96 Roanoke Express ECHL 39 22 13 3 2109 112 2 3.19 .907 2 0 2 116 6 0 3.09 .902 1996–97 Central Texas Stampede WPHL 54 30 20 0 3034 171 2 3.38 .900 11 5 6 678 43 1 3.80 .895 1997–98 Roanoke Express ECHL 30 17 8 3 1711 74 2 2.59 .909 2 2 0 120 4 0 2.00 — 1998–99 Roanoke Express ECHL 35 18 12 5 2105 97 2 2.76 .908 10 6 4 608 19 1 1.88 .943 1999–00 Roanoke Express ECHL 37 21 12 4 2103 87 2 2.48 .919 2 0 2 118 6 0 3.04 .870 2000–01 Roanoke Express ECHL 45 26 17 1 2604 104 4 2.40 .918 5 2 3 339 15 0 2.65 .917 2001–02 Roanoke Express ECHL 51 23 17 6 2847 129 4 2.72 .912 3 1 2 141 7 0 2.98 .883 2002–03 Greensboro Generals ECHL 53 30 14 5 2998 145 2 2.90 .915 8 4 4 483 24 0 2.98 .925 2003–04 Greensboro Generals ECHL 43 23 18 1 2518 151 0 3.60 .901 — — — — — — — — 2004–05 Port Huron Beacons UHL 30 7 17 3 1601 95 0 3.56 .896 — — — — — — — — NHL totals 215 81 90 21 11,654 714 5 3.68 .878 14 5 9 807 50 0 3.72 .877