From The Echl To Ahl All-star Shine, Ben Berard Represents Hometown Team
Coming into this season Abbotsford Canucks’ forward Ben Berard wouldn’t have guessed he’d be heading to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic.
He played four games with Abbotsford last year, spending most of the season in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings. Last season, he had two goals in four games with Abbotsford and 40 points (20-20-40) in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings, continuing to chip away at the details of his game.
“I came into camp just wanting to get a spot on this team here to start the year. That was the first goal, and achieving that was nice, and now, throughout the year, growing my role and being able to contribute to this team, it's been a lot of fun,” Berard said.
The 26-year-old winger leads Abbotsford with 23 points (9-14-23) on the season through 43 games. He’s been slotted in lines throughout the season and plays with pace and bite to his game.
Abbotsford Head Coach Manny Malhotra announced Berard’s All-Star selection on Thursday, mentioning how the forward is a “jack-of-all trades” and has made the most of opportunities presented to him.
“He comes to the rink every day; he grinds, he performs, he contributes. We recognize him, we appreciate him, and the league has also recognized Benny Berard is going to be our All-Star selection in Rockford,” Malhotra said.
https://x.com/abbycanucks/status/2019525353559986331
Abbotsford Canucks’ Assistant Coach Harry Mahesh is excited to see Berard get the nod for AHL All-Star and is well-deserved for the contributions Berard has made so far this year.
“To see the progression of a guy who played a handful of games with Abbotsford last season to guy who's leading our team and scoring and is somewhat local and gets to represent a team he grew up watching with the Canucks is really cool,” Mahesh said. “For him, with the ups and downs of the season, he's been really consistent in his production, so it's a good reward for everything he's done for us.”
Mahesh has a lot of respect for Berard’s work ethic and perseverance, working on his game and taking every opportunity to improve.