The future of the Los Angeles Kings arrived last night in Verizon Wireless Arena.
Nineteen-year-old goaltender Jonathan Bernier started his first game for the Kings' AHL affiliate Monarchs. It is hoped that Bernier, who hails from Laval, Quebec, will one day soon carry the Kings to the Stanley Cup promised land. Quebec-bred goaltending talent has been a prize NHL possession since Patrick Roy led Montreal and then Colorado to Cups, and more recently New Jersey's Martin Brodeur has paved the way for the likes of Bernier.
"Our fans want to see him," said Monarchs coach Mark Morris of starting Bernier last night instead of on the road at Lowell Friday. "I've seen Jon play and he inspires confidence in everyone around him."
The Kings' first pick (11th overall) in 2006, Bernier comes with much hype for good reason. For a while it looked as if Bernier would bypass minor league pro hockey.
He opened the NHL season for Los Angeles, beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks in London. But after four games (losing the next three) Bernier was sent back to his junior team, the Lewiston Maineiacs of the Quebec League.
Bernier admits he was initially upset by the Kings' decision to ship him back to juniors.
"At that moment I didn't want to go back to juniors," he said. "At that moment I thought I was done with juniors and I wanted to stay with Los Angeles. They told me they didn't want to make any mistakes with me.
What's your opinion?
We've had a number of comments, which you can read or add to below, about the photo above. Share you're opinion and help shape future content on unionleader.com.
In his own words, Kings' management told him: "Go back to juniors and you'll have more experience next year and you'll be more ready."
"It was hard," said Bernier. "It was tough."
Kings general manager Dean Lombardi told Bernier that the young goaltender's character was not in question. His desire was not in question. But few in the NHL forget when Pittsburgh rushed the first pick in the 2003 draft, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury into 22 games at the tender age of 18. Fleury was the hoped-for savior of a struggling and once proud franchise. Instead Fleury looked like a failure and went 4-14-2. Pittsburgh sent him back to juniors and it took Fleury almost two seasons to return to the NHL. No one wants to repeat that mistake.
Bernier is well aware of the situation (now his personal situation) since he is friends with Fleury.
"For me it was only to play pro that's why I took it so hard," Bernier continued. He was too young by rule to play in the AHL for Manchester.
But, a couple weeks later Bernier had a smile on his face. He played 48 games for Lewiston in his fourth season in Maine. He was 18-12-3 with a 2.73 goals against and a .908 save percentage. The year before that he was the most valuable player of the QMJHL. Three times he has played for Canada in world junior tournaments.
"I think I've worn a lot of jerseys this year," he smiled. "It's been an interesting year for me. I've been all over the place, but you know what? All those things are going to help me in my future." The scouting report on Bernier is simple. When he is on he is very good and he is on more often than not.
"I'm here and I'm going to play my game," he said calmly, confidently. "I have to prove what I can do and go day by day." The Monarchs will most likely keep three goaltenders for the upcoming playoffs. And this remains a proving round the Kings are watching carefully for next season. Rookie goaltender Erik Ersberg is performing admirably as Los Angeles finishes its season. Second-year pro Dan Taylor, also an AHL rookie, is backing up Ersberg. And for now in Manchester rookie Jon Quick, who left UMass-Amherst to jump into the Kings' rebuilding effort, will share the duties with Bernier.
Kevin Provencher covers the Manchester Monarchs for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News.
