Bryan Berard Bryan Wallace Berard ( born March 5 , 1977 ) is an American professional player who last played for Vityaz Chekhov of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) . He was the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators . He is noted for a debilitating eye injury he received early in his career . Playing career . He was drafted first overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft . He would not play a game for the Senators , after informing the club he would not report . The Senators traded him along with Martin Straka to the New York Islanders for Wade Redden and Damian Rhodes . He was a successful player on the Islanders and won the Calder Trophy in 1997 as the top rookie in the NHL . He also played for the United States in the 1998 Winter Olympics . After four years with the Islanders , he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs . Berard played the last two seasons in Columbus . Besides his Calder Trophy season with the Islanders , Berard ’ s best season was 2003 – 04 in which he was 13 – 34 – 47 in only 58 games with the Chicago Blackhawks . In 565 career NHL games with the Islanders , Toronto , Rangers , Boston , Chicago , and Columbus , Berard has 71 goals and 230 assists for a total of 301 points . Eye injury . On March 11 , 2000 , while Berard was playing for the Leafs in a game against the Senators in Ottawa , the stick of Marián Hossa clipped Berard in the right eye , severely injuring it . The eye had been severely slashed on sclera which resulted in a retinal tear and a detached retina . In the hospital room after the incident , after being told he might lose his eye , Berard reportedly told his friends that he would play hockey again . Despite being optimistic about his future in hockey , he ended up receiving a $ 6 . 5 million settlement from his insurance company , what many considered to be a career - ending settlement . During the next season , he underwent seven eye operations , improving his vision in the eye to 20 / 600 . He started working out again in April 2001 and started skating again months thereafter . He was later fitted with a contact lens that allowed him to meet the league ' s minimum vision requirement of 20 / 400 . When it became apparent that he might play again , the Leafs stated they were interested in his services , but Berard opted to play for a team that was currently rebuilding and was a bit closer to his home of Woonsocket . Upon signing a tryout contract with the New York Rangers , Berard returned his insurance settlement and risked a comeback to the NHL . He played well enough that his tryout contract turned into a $ 2 million contract for the 2002 – 03 season . He then enjoyed successful one - year stints with both the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2005 – 06 season . As a result of his perseverance , Berard was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his dedication to hockey in 2004 . Steroid testing . In early 2006 , it was revealed that he had tested positive for an anabolic steroid known as 19 - norandrosterone , in a drug test he had taken in November 2005 . He was the first NHL player to ever test positive for steroids . The NHL did not hand down any form of suspension to Berard as they did not administer the test , but he was banned from international play for two years effective January 3 , 2006 . Berard said after the incident , " I made a mistake that resulted in a suspension and , while unintentional , I take full responsibility . I became aware of this problem after the fact , and for that I am disappointed in myself . " 2007 – 08 season . Bryan Berard accepted an invitation to attend training camp for the 2007 – 08 season with the New York Islanders . He performed well enough that Berard signed a one - year contract with the Islanders at the conclusion of training camp . In his first game back with the Islanders , Berard scored the game - winning goal against his former team , the rival New York Rangers in a 2 – 1 Islander victory . European career . He moved on November 16 , 2008 to Vityaz Chekhov of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) . He scored 18 points in 25 games played . After that season he retired .