Former 1st Overall Pick Arrested Following Incident at Bar

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TJ Tucker
August 4, 2023 (11:10)

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The former 1st overall pick of the 1995 NHL entry draft was arrested recently following an incident at a bar. According to reports, Bryan Berard, who is 46 years old, was picked up by police on July 30th in Newport, Rhode Island, where he currently lives.

Newport Daily News reports a video shows Berard and another man talking, hugging, and then walking away from each other. While that's happening, the other man pushes Berard in the back. Berard turned around and grabbed the man by the shirt, and that's how the incident started. Police said the man did not know who Berard was and Berard had told him to "settle down" before anything happened.

Berard has been charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, with a court date set for August 9th. Berard told reporters what happened was a misunderstanding and he didn't know it was an officer trying to arrest him due to an eye injury. He said be believes the charges will be dropped.

Berard was drafted 1st overall by the Ottawa Senators in 1995. He never played for the team, and was traded to the New York Islanders in 1996 in the exchange that brought Wade Redden to Ottawa. He also played for for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Islanders once again before spending one year in the KHL and then retiring. In March of 2000, Berard suffered a terrible eye injury when he was hit by the stick of Marion Hossa during a game in Ottawa. It would require seven surgeries and was considered career-ending. However, Berard continued to play for several years after. In 2006, Berard tested positive for anabolic steroids, becoming the first ever NHL player to do so. The test was not administered by the NHL so he was not suspended from the league at the time. He was banned from international play for two years. Berard took full responsibility for the positive test, saying it was a mistake.