Future Toledo hockey hall of famer Shane Berschbach, a fixture and cornerstone for the Walleye organization for nearly half of its existence, has retired.
Berschbach, who played six seasons for the ECHL franchise, announced his retirement on Instagram on Saturday. The speedy forward is the organization's leader in every significant offensive category.
“It's tough, for sure,” Berschbach said. “It has been the best ride I could have asked for. Big thanks to the city, people, and fans of Toledo. It was an honor to play in front of you for six years. The atmosphere you guys brought every night was second to none and something I'll remember forever. You guys made Toledo feel like home. I'll always remember all the good days and the people of Toledo and going to the rink every day and the people I got to work with daily.”
Berschbach, who turned 30 in May, is the Walleye's all-time leader in games played (376).
The native of Clawson, Mich. also retires as the team's career leader in points collected (393), goals scored (116), and assists (277).
Walleye coach Dan Watson called Berschbach the greatest player to ever wear the team's uniform.
“It’s honestly hard to put into words how much respect I have for him,” Watson said. “The biggest things I appreciate were his loyalty, dedication, and commitment to the organization and city of Toledo. He gave everything he had every time he pulled the sweater over his head.”
Berschbach, who started his pro career for the Walleye in 2014-15, also ranks among the franchise’s top performers in the postseason. He has appeared in the most playoff games (55) and has tallied the most points (52) and assists (38).
“I take a lot of pride in that. But a lot of credit goes to the coaches and my teammates and the people working in the locker room up to the front office,” he said.
The Walleye have made the playoffs every season since Berschbach joined the team, including trips to the conference finals in 2015 and 2017, as well as the team's first appearance in the Kelly Cup Finals in 2019.
“Seeing the crowds and the buzz around the city continue to grow every year was super special,” Berschbach said. “That is what made me return to Toledo. I had tons of offers to go overseas. But Toledo meant so much to me, I really couldn't leave it. I always wanted to be part of the next season because each season kept getting better.”
Berschbach said his decision to retire came down to his growing family, as well as time away from the game due to the pause created by the coronavirus pandemic. He and his wife Krista have two young boys, Beau (2) and Brek (nine months).
“I was looking to give it one more shot. But with the season being canceled and the time gap from the last time I had played until now, it's just been too much,” he said.
The organization once created a bobblehead in Berschbach's likeness and the outpouring of supportive comments from many of his former teammates and fan base reflected the respect “Bersch” earned both inside and outside the dressing room. Many former players called him the “GOAT” and said it was an honor to share the same ice.
“Bersch to me is the best Walleye of all time,” said former captain Alden Hirschfeld, who is now an assistant coach for the team. “He's unbelievable on the ice, a great person off the ice, and he's now continuing on to be a great husband and dad. Everybody loved playing with him. They knew he was going to set them up for a great opportunity to score. He could make plays anywhere on the ice regardless of the pressure he was under. We will continue to be great friends.”
Former linemate Kyle Bonis, who also had planned to come back to play for the team before the pandemic hit and retired, said Berschbach truly earned his place in Walleye history.
“Bersch is the greatest to ever put on a Walleye jersey. I enjoyed every second of playing with Bersch,” Bonis said. “We made memories on the ice that I will never forget. We all are lucky we got to watch that on the ice for as long as we did.”
The playmaker
At 5-foot-10 and 165-pounds, Bersch was a quick, jitterbug-type player with terrific vision and knowledge of the game. “Bersch” averaged more than a point per game — a lofty standard reserved for only the elite offensive players in the sport — at 1.045 points per contest.
“I can't take personal credit for those stats because, without my teammates, it's not going to happen,” he said. “I played with a heck of a lot of good players. The list of players goes on and on.”
Berschbach has more assists than any other ECHL player since 2014-15 with 277. He led the league in 2016-17 with 68 assists, which he called his greatest accomplishment.
“It was special for me to get that 68 assists in 72 games because that is the foundation of my game,” he said. “That is how I played my entire life. My play-making ability got me to the next level.”
Watson said he would often have in-depth conversations with Berschbach in his office.
“The way he saw the game and thought the game was elite at our level,” he said. “It’s been an unreal ride and I’m honored to call him a friend.”
Former defenseman Brenden Kotyk called Berschbach “a heck of a guy, heck of a player!”
“Honored to have played with you and honored to call you a good friend. Enjoy it,” Kotyk wrote.
Former Walleye players Simon Denis, Bryan Moore, Trevor Hamilton, Tyler Spezia, Kevin Tansey, Tyler Sikura, and Matt Register also offered their congratulations.
“Get the jersey up [to the rafters] and the HOF speech ready,” Sikura wrote.
Tansey, a defenseman, said Berschbach helped elevate his production.
“Playing with you taught me how to bring out my offensive game,” Tansey said. “Love you, brother.”
Many from that group led the Walleye to their first appearance in the Kelly Cup Finals in 2019 when they fell 4-2 to Newfoundland.
“Finally getting over that Western Conference Final hump was super special and then to play in Kelly Cup Finals and the atmosphere at the Huntington Center was incredible,” Berschbach said. “I've never experienced a crowd like that.”
Finishing strong
In what would be his final season in 2019-20, Berschbach ranked second on the team in scoring. He finished with a team-high 43 assists to go along with 20 goals for 63 points in 56 games. His final appearance in a Toledo uniform came in an empty Huntington Center in a game played under restricted attendance just before the season was called off.
“Walking out of the rink that night, I definitely did not think it would be my last hockey game. So that's tough. But you can't put the perception of your career on that one night,” he said.
That season was called off in mid-March by the ECHL after the coronavirus pandemic began making its early impact. When the Walleye then opted out of the 2020-21 season, Berschbach sat out the year while some of his other teammates played for other ECHL teams.
Berschbach said he briefly contemplated playing for a different ECHL organization.
“I definitely had a couple of thoughts right away because I really wanted to play and give it one last shot knowing this would be my last season,” he said. “But I had dedicated my entire career to Toledo and I took pride in that. I wanted to remain loyal. We had such a great run in Toledo. I didn't feel it would be right to play somewhere else.”
Watson said Berschbach's statistical records will stand for many years.
“Those records will not be broken for a very long time, with the potential of never being broken,” he said.
But Watson said Berschbach always favored team success over individual success.
“He wanted to win for Toledo,” Watson said. “That speaks volumes to me about how unselfish he was and how he wanted to make players around him better.”
Berschbach flourished in his four-year college career at Western Michigan University before joining the Walleye to start his pro career. In 146 collegiate games, he tallied 117 points with 39 goals and 78 assists.
He was named an assistant captain in 2019-20. In 2019, Berschbach was the top vote-getter in The Blade's My Favorite Walleye poll.
Berschbach and his family had moved to Perrysburg just before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
“We were just waiting to get going this season. We were ready to give it one more run. Once we got word the season was canceled, I needed to start work,” he said. “It's just been too much. We've had another kid and it was just time to move on. In the long run, it just didn't make a lot of sense to come back.”
The family has moved to Royal Oak, Mich. in the area near where he grew up.
“Everything has worked out well,” he said.
Berschbach is now a skills coach, teaching private lessons to players ages 7 up to the college level.
“I have a lot of good things going on. That takes away from the sadness,” he said. “I have two kids and a wife. I have a lot more going on than when I was a rookie coming into Toledo. It all kind of just fell into place.”
He also is an assistant coach with the Little Caesars travel hockey organization.
“I'm definitely putting my foot in the water to see where coaching might go,” he said. “I've really liked doing the skills camps.”
Berschbach said it's important to him to give back to the sport.
“Everything I have came from playing the game of hockey,” he said. “It took me to Western Michigan where I met my wife. The game has given me so much, I do want to give back.”
Berschbach will undoubtedly be inducted into the Toledo Hockey Hall of Fame. After dedicating his entire pro career to Toledo and foregoing more lucrative opportunities to play overseas, Berschbach forever etched his name into the record books.
His teammates often describe Berschbach with similar adjectives: loyal, humble, consistent, hard-working, talented, and honest.
“I appreciate that so much. Those guys had a strong helping hand in making me whatever they want to call me, the GOAT or whatever. I share that GOAT feeling with all of them, as well. It's all a team game,” he said.
Some day Berschbach’s No. 10 jersey could be the first one retired by the organization.
“If I do make the hall of fame, that would be a huge honor and something I never dreamed of growing up,” he said. “I never knew how far I was going to make it just because of my size and whatnot. So everything that I accomplished, I'm just really, really grateful for it all.”
First Published July 31, 2021, 12:30 p.m.
