Berard is best known for a game he played on March 11, 2000 where he was clipped in the right eye by Senators' Marian Hossa and had his sclera slashed. This resulted in both a retinal tear and a detached retina. Berard was told that he might have to lose his eye. During the next season, Berard had over 7 eye operations. The operations left him with 20/600 in his damaged eye. He would later be fitted with a contact lens which allowed him to meet the league's minimum vision requirement of 20/400. He was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his ability to "overcome an injury that left him legally blind in one eye" in 2004.