A hybrid stand-up/butterfly-style goalie, the Laval, Quebec, native excels at putting his 6-foot, 185-pound frame in position to control rebounds or direct them away from dangerous scoring areas.

A first-round pick (No. 11) of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2006 NHL Draft, Bernier, at 19 years old, became the second-youngest goalie, and 11th-youngest player, to play for the Kings when he started their season-opener in London on Sept. 29, 2007. Bernier made 26 saves in a 4-1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks, becoming the youngest Kings goalie to win his NHL debut.

Returned to Lewiston of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after four games, Bernier didn't get another call-up until March 12, 2010, when he made 29 saves to help the Kings to a 2-1 shootout win against the Dallas Stars. He earned his first NHL shutout in his next game with 34 saves in a 2-0 victory against the Nashville Predators on March 30, 2010.

Bernier, who finished the 2009-10 season 3-0-0 in three starts, made the Kings roster out of training camp to begin the 2010-11 season. Still a rookie, he played 25 games (22 starts) as Jonathan Quick's backup. Among first-year goalies, Bernier finished tied for third with three shutouts, and his 2.48 goals-against average ranked seventh among rookies who played at least 10 games.

Bernier won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2012, though he did not play during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He saw his first postseason action the following spring with a nine-save performance in relief of Quick in Game 2 of the 2013 Western Conference Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.

A trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 23, 2013 gave Bernier his first real shot at being a starting goalie in the NHL, and he ran with it. He made 31 saves to win his Maple Leafs debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 2, 2013. A 36-save effort at Nashville eight days later gave Bernier his first shutout with his new team.

Bernier finished 26-19-7 in 55 games (49 starts) in 2013-14 but slipped to 21-28-7 in 58 games (55 starts) in 2014-15. A difficult 2015-16 season saw Bernier lose his grip on the starting job, although he still led Toronto with 12 wins and three shutouts.

The Maple Leafs traded Bernier to the Ducks on July 8, 2016, and he went 21-7-4 with a 2.50 GAA and .915 save percentage in 39 games (33 starts). The Colorado Avalanche signed him as a free agent July 1, 2017, and he went 19-13-3 to help Colorado qualify for playoffs one season after finishing last in the NHL.

Bernier became a free agent again and signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1, 2018. In a 4-2 win against the Boston Bruins at Little Caesars Arena on Nov. 8, 2019, Bernier had two assists to become the first Detroit goalie to do so since Jim Rutherford on Feb. 18, 1979.

After playing three seasons in Detroit, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft on July 22, 2021. But six days later, Bernier, who was an unrestricted free agent, decided to sign a two-year, $8.25 million contract ($4.125 million average annual value) with the New Jersey Devils.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• QMJHL Second All-Star Team (2007)
• Canadian Major Junior Second All-Star Team (2007)
• AHL First All-Star Team (2010)
• Aldege "Baz" Bastien Award (AHL - Outstanding Goaltender) (2010)
• Signed as a free agent by Heilbronner (German-2), October 10, 2012.
• Traded to Toronto by Los Angeles for Ben Scrivens, Matt Frattin and Toronto's 2nd round pick (later traded to Columbus, later traded back to Toronto - Toronto selected Travis Dermott) in 2015 NHL Draft, June 23, 2013.
• Traded to Anaheim by Toronto for future considerations (conditions not met), July 8, 2016.
• Signed as a free agent by Colorado, July 1, 2017.
• Signed as a free agent by Detroit, July 1, 2018.
• Traded to Carolina by Detroit with a 3rd-round pick in 2021 NHL Draft for Alex Nedeljkovic, July 22, 2021.
• Signed as a free agent by New Jersey, July 28, 2021.