Jonathan Bernier is looking forward to taking flight with the Anaheim Ducks.
Traded Friday by the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2017 conditional draft pick, the 28-year-old goalie did not expect to be on the move, but appears quite pleased about his destination.
"I had no idea there was a trade coming up or that I was going to get moved," Bernier said on a conference call with reporters. "(Toronto general manager) Lou (Lamoriello) called me this morning and gave me the news.
"For me, I'm definitely very happy to come to the Ducks. It seems like a really great organization. They have a great team has well. I think it's going to be a great fit for me and obviously a new chapter."
Related: Expectations, pressure and Mandela: Bernier's time in Toronto comes to a close
Bernier spent three seasons in Toronto after being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings, posting a record of 59-68-17 with a .917 save percentage. He joined the Maple Leafs during a down time in the team's history, and leaves with generally positive memories and a renewed hope for his hockey future after being relegated to the AHL for a spell this past season.
"Playing in Toronto, I had a real good experience," Bernier said. "I had a lot of fun. But when you go through a rebuild it's never easy. I'm going to a team that's a Stanley Cup contender, and you're feeling better coming into camp and knowing you have a great team in front of you."
That "great team" will be coached by Randy Carlyle, under whom Bernier played for a season and a half in Toronto.
"Knowing (Carlyle), he's very detailed on how well he wants to play defensively. So I think it's a great fit," Bernier said of the reunion. "I had to gain his confidence when I got traded to Toronto, but we always got along well. He's a very detailed coach, and he demands a lot. That's what you want from your coach."
Bernier, who's expected to begin the season as John Gibson's backup, has one year left on his contract and will carry a $4.15-million cap hit in 2016-17 heading into unrestricted free agency next summer.
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