Playing career

Known as "The Bandit" during his hockey career, Berthiaume was a standout goaltender in junior hockey, playing for the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL. He was drafted 60th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft and posted an impressive 18-7-3 record in 31 games during his rookie NHL season of 1986-87. During his tenure with the Winnipeg Jets, he formed one half of the goaltending duo "Pokey and the Bandit" with Pokey Reddick. During his second season in the NHL, Berthiaume assumed the starting job in Winnipeg and posted a career-best 22 wins. The following season he struggled and ended up spending the bulk of the year toiling in the minors while Reddick took over the starters job with the Jets and veteran Alain Chevrier and rookie Bob Essensa supported him. Berthiaume was back with the Jets for the 1989-90 season, but Essensa was now the club's starting netminder. 1990

Berthiaume came under fire for allegedly swearing at children seeking his autograph, and was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for future considerations. Mike Smith, general manager of the Jets, said Berthiaume's trade was related to his off-ice actions. The goalie apologized on television for swearing at autograph seekers, then a day later denied the incident took place and said he had been ordered to apologize by team management. On January 22, 1990, Berthiaume was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for Future Considerations.

Goaltender Jon Casey handled the bulk of the duties for the North Stars so Berthiuame appeared in just five games for Minnesota. Prior to the start of the 1990-91 training camp, Berthiaume was traded again, this time landing in Los Angeles.

WIth the Kings Berthiaume served as the back up to veteran Kelly Hrudey and performed well enough to win 20-games for the club. However, his improved play didn't last, and the next season, 1991-92, he struggled posting a 4.04 goals against average while managing just seven wins in 19 appearances. His uneven play ultimately cost him his job and he was shipped to Boston for Future Considerations on January 18, 1992.

The Bruins had Andy Moog firmly entrenched in their starter role with veteran Rejean Lemelin as his back-up, but when Lemelin suffered a groin injury, they were in need of some depth. The Bruins brought in Berthiaume but he did little to help, winning just one of the eight starts he made for Boston. During the off-season, the Bruins traded him back to Winnipeg but it was with the expansion Ottawa Senators that he would get his next opportunity.

The first-year Senators leaned heavily on goaltender Peter Sidorkiewicz and while he faired admirably considering the heavy fire he took each night in their crease, his back-up, veteran Steve Weeks, was horribly over-matched posting a 7.23 goals against average. Berthiaume was brought in to relieve Sidorkiewicz and appeared in 25 games for Ottawa posting a 2-17-1 record for the lowly Senators. In the off-season, the Senators upgraded their goaltending by acquiring Craig Billington and they promoted rookie Darrin Madeley which pushed Berthiaume out of the crease. He made one appearance for Ottawa in the 1993-94 season and though it lasted just one minute, he surrendered two goals giving him an ugly 120.00 goals against average for the season. Late in the season he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, but he never suited up for the club making his final NHL appearance his one minute stint for the Senators earlier that year.

In all, Berthiaume played in a total of 215 regular season NHL games during his career, posting a record of 81-91-21 with a goals against average of 3.67. He also appeared in 14 NHL playoff games, all with Winnipeg.

After making his final NHL appearance with the Ottawa Senators during the 1993-94 season, he spent most of the remainder of his career in the ECHL with the Roanoke Express, where he spent seven seasons in three stints and often split duties with Dave Gagnon. He also played for the ECHL's Wheeling Thunderbirds, the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League, and the Central Texas Stampede of the WPHL where he won the Most Outstanding Goaltender honours for the 1996-97 season. He played his last season with the Port Huron Beacons of the United Hockey League before retiring in 2005.

Berthiaume also played professional roller hockey, tending goal for Roller Hockey International's New Jersey Rockin Rollers in 1994, Detroit Mustangs in 1995, and Philadelphia Bulldogs in 1996.

Coaching career

Berthiaume was the assistant coach of the Roanoke Valley Vipers in the United Hockey League at the start of their 2005-06 season., but on February 6, 2006 it was announced that Berthiaume would become the head coach, replacing the Jim Wiley who lost his job in mid-season. He now coaches the Virginia Military Institute Hockey team, where he has produced alumni such as Bob "Bobfather" Flaherty who now attends Harvard University.

Personal life

He currently lives in Hardy, Virginia, where he owns and operates Captain Bert's Fishin' Charters on Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, a freshwater striped bass fishery.

Berthiaume is married and has three sons.

Awards

• 1996-97: Outstanding Goaltender (WPHL)

Career statistics

Season Team Lge GP Min GA EN SO GAA W L T SV SV%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1983-84 Drummondville Voltigeurs QMJHL 28 1562 131 3 0 5.03 0 0 0 0 0.000
1984-85 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QMJHL 56 3168 198 1 2 3.75 40 11 2 0 0.000
1984-85 Drummondville Voltigeurs QMJHL 3 179 17 2 0 5.70 1 2 0 0 0.000
1985-86 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QMJHL 66 3718 286 4 1 4.62 34 29 3 0 0.000
1986-87 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 7 420 23 0 0 3.29 4 3 0 173 0.883
1986-87 Winnipeg Jets NHL 31 1758 93 1 1 3.17 18 7 3 716 0.885
1987-88 Winnipeg Jets NHL 56 3010 176 0 2 3.51 22 19 7 1311 0.882
1988-89 Moncton Hawks AHL 21 1083 76 2 0 4.21 6 9 2 553 0.879
1988-89 Winnipeg Jets NHL 9 443 44 2 0 5.96 0 8 0 209 0.826
1989-90 Winnipeg Jets NHL 24 1387 86 2 1 3.72 10 11 3 581 0.871
1989-90 Minnesota North Stars NHL 5 240 14 0 0 3.50 1 3 0 90 0.865
1990-91 Los Angeles Kings NHL 37 2119 117 1 1 3.31 20 11 4 969 0.892
1991-92 Boston Bruins NHL 8 401 21 0 0 3.14 1 4 2 135 0.865
1991-92 Los Angeles Kings NHL 19 979 66 2 0 4.04 7 10 1 475 0.878
1992-93 Ottawa Senators NHL 25 1326 95 3 0 4.30 2 17 1 644 0.871
1993-94 Ottawa Senators NHL 1 1 2 0 0 120.00 0 0 0 0 0.000
1993-94 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 11 552 35 1 0 3.80 7 2 0 243 0.874
1993-94 Prince Edward Island Sena AHL 30 1640 130 0 0 4.76 8 16 3 862 0.869
1994-95 Providence Bruins AHL 2 126 7 0 0 3.32 0 1 1 47 0.870
1994-95 Roanoke Express ECHL 21 1196 47 3 0 2.36 15 4 2 532 0.919
1994-95 Wheeling Thunderbirds ECHL 10 599 41 1 0 4.10 6 1 1 267 0.867
1995-96 Detroit Vipers IHL 7 401 19 0 2 2.84 4 3 0 168 0.898
1995-96 Roanoke Express ECHL 39 2108 112 4 2 3.19 22 13 3 1090 0.907
1996-97 Central-Texas Stampede WPHL 54 3034 171 5 2 3.38 30 20 0 1533 0.900
1997-98 Roanoke Express ECHL 30 1711 74 4 2 2.59 17 8 3 740 0.909
1998-99 Roanoke Express ECHL 35 2105 97 4 2 2.77 18 12 5 959 0.908
1999-00 Roanoke Express ECHL 37 2103 87 0 2 2.48 21 12 4 982 0.919
2000-01 Roanoke Express ECHL 45 2604 104 2 4 2.40 26 17 1 1161 0.918
2001-02 Roanoke Express ECHL 51 2847 129 2 4 2.72 23 17 6 1344 0.912
2002-03 Greensboro Generals ECHL 53 2998 145 4 2 2.90 30 14 5 1563 0.915
2003-04 Greensboro Generals ECHL 43 2518 151 2 0 3.60 23 18 1 1369 0.901
2004-05 Port Huron Beacons UHL 30 1600 95 1 0 3.56 7 17 3 818 0.896
					

Roller hockey

 Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM
-------------------------------------------------------------------- 1994 New Jersey Rockin' Roller RHI 19 0 1 1 12 1995 Detroit Motor City Mustangs RHI 20 0 6 6 17 1996 Philadelphia Bulldogs RHI 15 0 0 0 0
					

[ Source: Wikipedia ]