The two-year extension means the Red Wings avoid letting Bernard-Docker hit restricted free agency this summer, and will instead keep him locked up through the 2027-28 season. Bernard-Docker has appeared in 55 games for the Red Wings this season, registering zero goals and four assists.
Bernard-Docker will slot in on Tuesday after sitting out Saturday's game in Boston. Travis Hamonic will sit in his place.
Bernard-Docker did not play Detroit's most recent game, but he will return to the lineup on Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 25-year-old defenseman has only played 12 games this season, averaging 12:55 time-on-ice and scoring one assist.
Bernard-Docker was the 26th-overall pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and spent his first five NHL seasons with the organization before being sent to the Buffalo Sabres before the trade deadline in 2024-25. He will join his third NHL team in the 2025-26 season, with the Red Wings on a one-year deal worth $875K. The 25-year-old defenseman has 24 points (6G / 18A) in 144 career games.
Bernard-Docker has been limited to only 25 games this season, averaging 13:06 time-on-ice, but has been effective when in the lineup. The 24-year-old defenseman has four points (1G / 3A), 25 blocks, and 21 hits this season.
Bernard-Docker left practice early on Monday after suffering a high-ankle sprain. He needed assistance leaving the ice and will be out of the lineup until late February at the earliest. The 24-year-old Bernard-Docker was averaging 13:06 time-on-ice and had four points (1G / 3A) in 25 games before his injury.
Travis Hamonic will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Bernard-Docker to re-enter the lineup for the first time since November 5th. The 24-year-old Bernard-Docker is averaging 14:17 time-on-ice and has two points (0G / 2A) in nine games this season.
Artem Zub (concussion) will make his return from a nine-game absence on Thursday against the New York Islanders, resulting in Bernard-Docker being a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Bernard-Docker averaged 14:17 time-on-ice and scored two points (0G / 2A) in nine games.
