Brad Berry
Canadian coach and former NHL player.
Brad Berry, a Canadian who played 241 NHL games for the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota North Stars, and Dallas Stars, most recently served as head coach of the University of North Dakota men's ice hockey team. Born April 1, 1965, he is a former player turned coach.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 1 April 1965
- Birthplace
- Bashaw, Alberta, Canada
- Position
- Defenceman
- Shoots
- Left
- Played for
- Winnipeg Jets
- Brynäs IF
- Minnesota North Stars
- Dallas Stars
- Draft
- 29th overall
- Drafted by
- Winnipeg Jets
Facts from the source article.
Playing career
Brad Berry first suited up for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux in 1983, seeing limited ice time as a freshman. The following year, his scoring output more than tripled, earning him a spot on Canada’s gold-medal-winning world junior team. However, the Fighting Sioux dropped to fourth in the standings and missed the NCAA tournament. After another season with similar results, Berry left school early, turning pro with the Winnipeg Jets, who had selected him in the second round of the 1983 draft. He appeared in 16 games for the Jets at the end of the 1986 season, including three playoff contests, and played 52 games in his first full pro year. His production fell short of expectations in 1987-88, leading to a 10-game demotion to the minors, followed by 38 NHL games the next season. By 1989-90, Berry managed only 12 games in the NHL and opted to sign with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Elite League. After one season overseas, he returned to North America with the Kalamazoo Wings, earning a late-season call-up to the parent Minnesota North Stars. He played 63 games in 1992-93 and eight more with the Stars in 1993 as the franchise relocated to Dallas, then was sent back to the minors. Berry continued playing for Dallas’s farm team until retiring in 1999.
Coaching career
After hanging up his skates, Berry went back to North Dakota as an assistant coach, arriving right after the school had claimed its seventh national championship. He remained there for six years, then moved to the AHL as an assistant with the Manitoba Moose. Following two seasons in Manitoba, he spent two more years scouting for the Vancouver Canucks before returning to the bench as an assistant for the Columbus Blue Jackets. During his second season in Columbus, the team fell apart, leading to head coach Scott Arniel’s midseason dismissal. While another assistant, Todd Richards, took over, Berry left and headed back to Grand Forks for another assistant stint at his alma mater. Three years later, when Dave Hakstol left to coach the Philadelphia Flyers, Berry was promoted to head coach. In his debut season, he made NCAA history by becoming the first head coach ever to win a national title in his first year. Berry was let go on March 23, 2025, after ten seasons. In July 2026, he was reportedly the top choice to replace Ryan Ward as head coach of the Youngstown Phantoms, but he walked away when contract talks broke down.
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