Jonathan Bernier

Jonathan Bernier was born on August 7, 1988, in Laval, Quebec. The Los Angeles Kings selected him 11th overall in the first round of the 2006 NHL Draft, and he went on to appear in 404 NHL regular season games, posting 165 wins, 163 losses, 40 overtime losses, a 2.77 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and 18 shutouts. He wore number 45 and caught left. His career took him through stops with the Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, and New Jersey Devils.

InGoal Magazine has covered Jonathan Bernier in six Pro Reads, all produced during his time with the Detroit Red Wings and drawing on video sessions in which Bernier broke down specific game situations in his own words.

His first Pro Read Pro-Reads: Jonathan Bernier on Shootouts centered on a complete shootout against the Ottawa Senators, with Bernier offering both situational reads and broader philosophy on the format. "Goalies put a lot of pressure on themselves to win in shootouts but to me if you lose or win in a shootout, I don't think you should look at your game differently," he said. "It's a different part of the game." On patience as a core principle: "If you keep your head down and you are as patient as possible, shooters don't have much net either so you've got to put yourself in their shoes and if you don't make that first move that they want you to make, then they're a little confused in their head too." He also discussed how shooter tendencies shift between shootouts, breakaways, and penalty shots — including at least one NHL player who deliberately shoots for a rebound on a breakaway.

The second Pro Read Jonathan Bernier Pro Read 2: Net drive with pass options examined a net drive out of the corner involving Montreal Canadiens forwards Max Domi, Nick Suzuki, and Ilya Kovalchuk, with Bernier walking through his use of the reverse-VH and how the timing of Domi's decision to hold the puck influenced that choice. Bernier also addressed the differences between the reverse-VH and the older VH technique that was in wider use when he entered the league with the Kings.

The third Jonathan Bernier Pro Read 3: Backdoor robbery out of RVH featured a cross-crease glove save on Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak — who shared the 2019-20 Maurice Richard Trophy with Alexander Ovechkin — with the play originating from a Brad Marchand possession along the boards. Bernier explained that his positioning in reverse-VH was informed by specific reads on the situation rather than pure reaction. "The biggest thing is I knew [Pastrnak] was there," he said. He also addressed when athleticism becomes necessary: "It's not [desperation]. I'd rather be in butterfly than making a huge save but such a fast play, fast game sometimes you have to use your athleticism to make those kind of saves." The article noted that Bernier's comfort moving in and out of reverse-VH developed significantly during the 2017-18 season with the Colorado Avalanche under goaltending coach Jussi Parkkilla, with continued work the following two seasons in Detroit under coach Jeff Salajko. "It's one of the big things we changed and it's helped me a lot," Bernier told InGoal during that Colorado season. Bernier himself described his primary strength as beating plays on his skates.

The fourth Pro Read Jonathan Bernier Pro-Read 4: Depth management and a goal line stand covered two elements from a game against the Dallas Stars: depth management in traffic and scramble recovery. Bernier's breakdown discussed the considerations that go into depth selection for a 6-foot goaltender who relies on explosive movement, and the importance of recovering back over the knees rather than remaining in scramble mode after a first rebound.

The fifth Jonathan Bernier Pro Read #5 addressed shot preparation on a 3-on-3 rush and included a rule Bernier works on with his defensemen: "Let me handle that shot. Our rule is everything outside the dot, don't try to put the stick there. They're actually really hard to stop as a goalie (if they do) reach out."

The sixth Pro Read Jonathan Bernier Pro Read 6: Bernier’s three cues in action vs. Leafs returned to foundational positioning principles, with Bernier describing the three cues he uses to anchor his game: being set, being square, and controlling rebounds. "Three things I'll focus on will be my set: I need to have my feet set and sometimes we forget about that," he said. "You think 'oh, the guy is in the slot' and you try to kind of gain some ice and most of the time you'll get beat by doing that. If you're set, you have a better chance, even if you're a little deeper and can't get as much ice, you'll have a better chance to stop it. Square is another one where sometimes you don't see it, sometimes there's a screen, but if you're square to the puck, it might just hit you. And then the other one would be rebound control. Those are kind of three I try to focus on just to keep it simple, because sometimes if mentally you're weak during a period of time, or you're not feeling confident, you have those three points that you can just focus on and not worry about anything else." He also discussed the role of head position as a cue for balance and movement, and how pulling his head back and away from the puck results in landing on his heels. He noted that his approach to rush depth has become less aggressive than it was in junior, when he played rush chances with more retreat. These cues were also discussed on InGoal Radio Podcast Episode 65, referenced within that sixth Pro Read. Bernier's off-season work on the foundational elements of his game was documented separately in Pro Drills sessions with his off-season goalie coach, Marco Marciano, who also serves as the AHL and development coach for the Montreal Canadiens.