Associated Press TORONTO -- Toronto defenseman Bryan Berard, wearing sunglasses over his injured right eye, attended the Maple Leafs' home playoff game on Saturday night. Berard received a minute-long standing ovation when he was shown on the center-ice video screen during Game 2 of the Leafs' playoff series with the New Jersey Devils. Sitting in a private suite at the Air Canada Centre, Berard waved three times to the cheering crowd when he was pictured early in the first period. It was Berard's first time at a game since he was clipped in the right eye March 11 by the stick blade of Ottawa forward Marian Hossa. His retina was reattached last month, and the 23-year-old Berard has been able to detect motion. Accompanied by his agent Tom Laidlaw, Berard flew to Toronto from his parents' home in Rhode Island. Bethany Berard, Berard's sister, told The Toronto Sun on Friday that Bryan was excited about making the trip. "He misses those guys. He can't wait to be with his teammates again and help out in any way he can," she said. The Leafs can't wait either. "He has been on our minds even though he hasn't been here," captain Mats Sundin said. "Every time we walk out of this room, we see his equipment that is still in his locker." One fan brought a sign which read: "Welcome back Berard." |
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