The Florida Panthers selected puck-rushing defenseman Carter Berger in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft at Rogers Place in Vancouver, British Columbia after he went unchosen in the 2018 event.
In the season prior to being chosen by former Cats general manager Dale Tallon, Berger played in 54 games with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies and piled up 27 goals and 36 assists to go along with 48 penalty minutes. This was a significant jump over his second BCHL season that saw him produce 10 goals and 34 points.
After attending Panthers Development Camp, Berger joined the Connecticut Huskies in the fall of 2019. He appeared in 31 games during his freshman season and finished the campaign with two goals and eight assists. He posted a plus-four rating and produced two power-play points. Berger registered an assist in his NCAA debut vs. Army West Point. His best game of the season was a goal and two-assist performance in a 3-2 upset win on home ice over No. 8 Massachusetts on February 28.
Berger returned to Connecticut for his sophomore season and appeared in 21 games of the COVID-affected slate. He scored one goal, in a 4-2 win over Maine on February 27, and added eight assists, slightly boosting his points per game average from .322 to .428. Berger finished the year with 39 shots on goal, six blocks, 6 penalty minutes and a plus-two rating.
As junior, Berger’s offensive game continued to stagnate. He played in 35 of 36 of Connecticut’s games and again managed just a single goal, against Boston University on October 9, and posted NCAA personal lows of seven assists and eight points. He finished the season with 51 shots on goal, 16 blocks, 16 penalty minutes and a plus-eight rating. He drew an assist in his last game with the Huskies, a 2-1 loss to Massachusetts on March 3, in the final 0f 2022 Hockey East tournament.
Sporting number 50, Berger attended the Panthers 2022 Development Camp in July before transferring to Western Michigan, where he became a teammate of future Florida signee Ryan McAllister, in the fall.
In his first season with the Broncos, Berger finally began to unlock his offensive potential. Bolstered by the change in scenery, he began the season on a three-game point streak, producing one goal and three assists. He finished the 2022-23 campaign, which included five multi-point games, with five goals, 18 assists and 23 points – all NCAA highs for the now 23-year-old blueliner. Berger registered 46 shots on goal, 23 blocks, 16 penalty minutes and a plus-14 rating with his new team, which made a second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Tournament.
Berger will utilize his extra year of college eligibility and return to Western Michigan for the 2023-24 season. The Cats have until August 15, 2024 to sign him to an entry-level contract.