It was a successful year for goaltender JF Berube and his Manchester Monarchs, capped off with an American Hockey League Calder Cup Championship.  With the Los Angeles Kings trading goaltender Martin Jones to the Boston Bruins this off-season, Berube is aspiring to take his game to the next level in the National Hockey League. 

However, he admits, it won’t be easy with the Kings signing Jhonas Enroth to a one-year contract, who is expected to be the back-up behind Jonathan Quick. 

“I’m preparing for it, it’s definitely my goal,” said Berube.  “I want to take the next step in my career.  Nothing is given and I’m going to have to work for it.  It’s going to be a battle during training camp especially after LA signed Enroth but I’m excited and ready for it.”

The Kings have become known in recent years for their goalie development with the likes of Jonathan Quick, Jonathan Bernier, and Martin Jones all being developed in the Kings’ system between Manchester and Ontario.

Berube was drafted 95^th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by Los Angeles.  He made his professional debut the following season, playing 3 games with Manchester after being eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs while with the Montreal Juniors.  “It was definitely a big transition going from junior to pro.  After my junior season I had a hip surgery so I faced a lot of adversity that summer just getting back in shape and getting back to my junior form.”

In 2011-12, he started his first full pro season with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL.  “The year that I started in Ontario, I was struggling to find my game and it was a big change for me.  Once I got comfortable, I settled in and accomplished good things after that.” 

Berube appeared in 37 games for Ontario posting a 17-13-4 record with a 2.87 GAA and 0.907 save percentage.  It took Berube one more season before he was back in the AHL with Manchester and posted good numbers.  However, this season was by far his best performance.

In 2014-15, he appeared in 52 games leading the AHL in Wins with 37 and was selected to participate in the AHL All-Star Classic.  “It was pretty fun being able to go there with the best players in the league.  Just being with the guys and showing our skills to the Utica crowd, I’ll remember that forever.  And spending it with teammates and family has been one of the highlights of my career so far.”

The biggest highlight of Berube’s season was winning the Calder Cup in his second full season with the Monarchs.  “We were a really close group.  Everyone was on the same page and listened to Coach Stothers for everything he had to say.  He was a new coach and we had guys that had been here longer, but everyone bought into the system.”

Berube acknowledges that Coach Stothers deserves a lot of credit for the team’s successful season.  “Practices were really hard and I don’t ever recall skating so much but when you look back at it, it was all worth it because during games you could actually see that we were in better shape compared to other teams.  We were a fast team and didn’t give too many opportunities to the opponent.  When you get tired, that’s when you start to cut corners and make mistakes.”

It wasn’t easy for Berube when he sustained an ankle injury in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals.  “Especially the way it happened, it was just so innocent.  It’s not like I got hit, I just tweaked my ankle on the post.  To happen that late in the season was really frustrating.  I thought I could definitely come back but the hardest thing was sitting out and seeing the guys on the ice.”

Fortunately for the Monarchs, the team had the depth in goal to finish the Calder Cup Finals with Berube sidelined.  “Patrik Bartosak coming in really helped us continue our push for the cup.” Bartosak appeared in the final two games of the series recording 2 wins to clinch the Calder Cup.

Much like in the NHL, a tradition in the AHL is that players on the winning team each get to spend some time during the off-season with the Calder Cup.  “I get the Cup August 1^st and I’m going to invite family, friends, and old teammates to my parents’ house in Quebec. It’ll be fun to spend it with everyone that has supported me through everything, and it’s rewarding for them to know that they have helped me achieve the Championship.”

Growing up in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada, Berube liked to watch fellow Quebec native Marc-Andre Fleury as well as his hometown Montreal Canadiens.  “I watched Fleury a lot, and look up to him for not only the success he had but the adversity that he faced.  If he lets in a bad goal, he always bounces back.  He’s a real competitor and that’s motivated me.” 

As a kid, Berube was drawn to watching and playing goal.  “Every time I watched the Canadiens, I would focus on the goalie.  In soccer, I wanted to be in net and baseball I would be catcher.  I was just passionate about it and would always volunteer to play net.”

Going into training camp this year will be a battle for Berube.  He has been working to improve his game with the help of Manchester Monarchs goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh.  “He wasn’t full-time but he was always in touch with me.  He comes to most practices and we would talk after games.  He’s great at going over video.  At this point, there is nothing big to be changed in my game, just the little details.  Kim is good at finding those details that I need to focus on and he helped create the success that I had this year.”

Berube will be attending the upcoming LA Kings training camp, playing alongside starting goalie and two-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick.  “It’s good to go to training camp and watch a player like Quick.  He’s so athletic and is an unbelievable athlete.  Any tips that you can get from him are important and definitely help my game.” 

Berube can learn from Quick and try to improve certain aspects of his game to further prepare him for the next level.  “At the beginning of the year this past season when I was with Quick, I was watching him closely.  He’s a bigger guy and has a calm game.  That’s something that I want to improve and just be a little more calm in my net.”

After his successful campaign with the Monarchs this season, Berube is currently relaxing in California with his girlfriend.  “I’m looking forward to playing some golf as long as my ankle heals.  I’ll be seeing my summer buddies and relaxing and recovering as much as I can with the short summer.”

There is no doubt that this is an important season for Berube as he is poised to take the next step.  If he doesn’t make LA out of training camp, he will be back in familiar territory with the Ontario Reign who are now the Kings’ AHL affiliate beginning this season.  The Manchester Monarchs become the Kings’ ECHL affiliate.  “It’s going to be a really important training camp for me this season and I’m excited for the challenge.”