Amidst a whirlwind of a day that included the NHL debut of former defenseman Hunter McDonald, an overwhelmingly successful and record-breaking Giving Day for the program, and the news breaking of three impact transfers for the 2026-27 season, Northeastern also made made a seismic addition to the future of the program by landing the verbal commitment of one of the top ’09 defensemen in the country in Brody Berard.
Berard, a 6-foot, 195 pound right shot defenseman, hails from Cumberland, Rhode Island, the same hometown as former Northeastern blue liner and current Montreal Canadien Jayden Struble. He played this last season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL as one of the youngest players in the league. He held his own though, playing in 45 games, scoring 7 points (1 goal), and showcased the physical edge that has been the hallmark of his game (more on that below). Berard had interest from multiple of the top programs in New England and the nation, and was heavily in consideration for the US National Team Development Program’s class of 2028.
Prior to Youngstown he played for the hockey powerhouse Mount St. Charles in Rhode Island, where he won national championship at the 15U and 14U levels. He is an alumnus of the USA Hockey Selects 15 and Selects 16 camps. He was drafted by Halifax in the 6th round of the 2025 QMJHL Draft. He is eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft, where he will be one of the youngest players in the draft pool, being born two weeks before the September 15th cutoff date. He has NHL bloodlines as well, as he is the nephew of former first overall pick Bryan Berard, who had a long successful career in the NHL roaming the blue line for seven franchises. Uncle Bryan was the NHL Rookie of the Year in 1997 and won the Masterton Trophy in 2004.
Berard was rated as a 4.25-star recruit by Neutral Zone scouting, and a 4-star recruit by PuckPreps. A self-described “a good, hard-nosed, honest player,” Berard is known as a shutdown defenseman in every sense of the word. He throws his body around with purpose, using it to separate opposing skaters from pucks, and is not afraid to throw bone-crunching hits when needed. In the game of hockey, nothing showcases how fearless someone can be more than a fight, and while Berard won’t be doing that much at NU, he engaged in four tilts as a USHL rookie, including a one-punch victory against the 6-foot-6, former third round pick Mace’o Phillips in just his third USHL game.
Coming from Rhode Island, Berard was scouted often by the New England Hockey Journal, with the ceiling of a shutdown defenseman documented as far back as 2024 at the U15 level. NEHJ’s Evan Marinofsky often talked about Berard’s “mean, shutdown game,” citing his ability to step up on forwards in the neutral zone, finishing hits through opposing players, and tying up opposition in the net front to prevent action in the slot. Marinofsky thought he was a surprising omission from the NTDP in his assessment of USHL-eligible local talent, which Youngstown happily validated when they made him a second round pick, and he also has already projected Berard as a name to watch for the 2027 NHL Draft and earlier this month named Berard as one of the top ten ’09s in New England.
Given all his time in the national spotlight with Mount St. Charles and the Selects camps, Berard has also been evaluated frequently by PuckPreps. In their evaluations, they echo much of what NEHJ said, with highlights including “He showcased his physicality in a smart manner, choosing not to throw reckless hits but instead effectively using his size to push opponents off the puck and win battles along the boards“; “There was very little in the way of high-danger chances from the middle of the ice when Berard was present, swatting away centering passes and getting in the way shots, he did a great job in his own defensive zone…He also had shown great consistency handling the puck himself, he won’t make any high-end flashy plays, but upon exiting his defensive end he was remarkably consistent“; “His blend of offensive instincts and skating ability made him an impactful player from the point, starring as a creator on the powerplay with his quick hands and ability to distribute the puck swiftly and with precision. His deft puck skills under pressure enabled him to work his way out of trouble and step into open ice to pick out his next pass.”
Adding Berard to the pipeline is monumental for Northeastern and the shape of their future defensive group. Berard profiles as a future top pairing defenseman who will play massive minutes, and if he continues to develop his offensive game, could see time on the powerplay as well as the penalty kill, essentially never leaving the ice akin to what we’ve seen from a Vinny Borgesi or Jordan Harris in recent years. We project him to enroll to Northeastern in 2028, a year after his NHL Draft year, and that he will be a part of the team that opens the new arena to usher in a new era of Husky hockey.
Congratulations to Brody on his commitment to Northeastern!
As always, go Huskies!