Berschbach sets Walleye record for most games played

TOLEDO, Ohio – Taking the ice for the Toledo Walleye in their penultimate regular season matchup against the Brampton Beast on Saturday, Shane Berschbach passed Toledo Hockey Hall of Famer Kyle Rogers for the most games played in franchise history with his 320th regular season appearance.

An integral part of Toledo’s recent resurgence, the 27-year-old has helped lead the Walleye to five consecutive postseason berths, four division titles, two conference championship appearances and a pair of Brabham Cups.

In addition to representing the Walleye more times than any other player, Berschbach is the club’s regular season career leader with 234 assists and 330 points, while tallying the second-most goals with 96. Berschbach also ranks among the franchise’s top performers in the postseason with 55 games played (T1st), 14 goals (3rd), 38 assists (1st) and 52 points (1st).

Berschbach has earned numerous individual accolades during his career, including a place on the All-ECHL First Team in 2015-16 and All-ECHL Second Team honors the following season. He is a two-time ECHL Player of the Week recipient, and was named ECHL Player of the Month in January 2016. Along with his on-ice distinctions, Berschbach is one of two players in league history to collect multiple ECHL Sportsmanship Awards, which he gained in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

The Clawson, Mich., native made an instant impact in his first professional postseason, establishing franchise records with 17 assists and 25 points in the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs. He also shattered his own career-highs during the 2016-17 regular season with 68 helpers and 86 points, both of which remain atop the leaderboard prominently displayed inside the Huntington Center.

Berschbach is one of six skaters to play in five seasons with the Walleye, a feat accomplished by A.J. Jenks, John May, Evan Rankin, Rogers and first-year assistant coach Alden Hirschfeld.