With the Walleye in the midst of another deep playoff run, former Toledo forward Shane Berschbach can proudly proclaim to be one of the founders of the franchise’s success.

Since Berschbach joined the Walleye organization in 2014-15, the Walleye have qualified for the playoffs every year. The future Toledo Hockey Hall of Fame member also still proudly holds many of the organization’s scoring records.

Berschbach, who retired in 2020, is still the franchise’s all-time career leader in games played (376), points (393), and assists (277). “Bersch” ranks second in goals scored (116).

The native of Clawson, Mich., posted one of the best seasons in franchise history with 86 points (third most all time) and 68 assists (franchise record) in the 2016-17 season.

Berschbach was part of perhaps the best team in franchise history in 2018-19 when the team reached the Kelly Cup Finals for the first time. That team was led offensively by Berschbach, T.J. Hensick, and Greg Wolfe and defensively by Matt Register and goaltender Pat Nagle.

Berschbach played at Western Michigan University before spending his entire pro career with the Walleye. In his six seasons with Toledo, the team reached the conference finals three times under coaches Derek Lalonde and Dan Watson.

At 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, Bersch was a quick, jitterbug-type player with terrific vision and knowledge of the game. He averaged 1.045 points per contest.

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 at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Berschbach, 33, is now a video coach for a player development company that instructs youth, junior, and college hockey players. He lives in Jenison, Mich., with his wife Krista and sons Beau (6) and Brek (4).

The Blade: How much pride do you take in establishing the pattern of success the Walleye have enjoyed?

Berschbach: “It’s awesome to see. It’s continued to elevate year after year, and it’s not slowing down.”

The Blade: What do you miss most about playing, especially come playoff time?

Berschbach: The camaraderie. 100 percent. You’ll never find anything like it — the energy and the love you have for those guys, and the willingness to battle with them. Playoffs are the best time of the year. It’s why you play the game, for these competitive-type environments where everyone’s laying it all on the line. All the individual accolades go out the window. It’s all about getting that trophy at the end. And that’s a whole team effort.”

The Blade: How close do you keep tabs on the current Walleye teams?

Berschbach: “I definitely follow along on all the social media platforms. I try to get down there as much as I can. I still talk to [Tyler] Spezia and [Brandon] Hawkins. I’ve grown up with those guys. We’ve known each other since we were 8 years old, when we started playing roller hockey together. It’s awesome to see Speez come back and doing so well after he left for a few years in the American League. That tells you how special that place is. You see how bad Hawk wants to win one for that city.”

The Blade: What teams and seasons stand out to you?

Berschbach: “The 2018-19 team. We ran into a really good team in Newfoundland. Those home games were incredible, right? That was heartbreaking for sure. It’s the players. There are a lot of those guys who were there throughout those few years. We built really good relationships. I can’t pick and choose between all of those guys. But the organization just drew a lot of good people. The city and team have built this reputation. That was the cool part. I’ve had a lot of special feelings about all of the teams. I think we all had a pretty darn legit shot to win it.”

The Blade: That 2019-20 team looked to have great potential to make another run. How tough was it to end your career in that coronavirus-shortened season?

Berschbach: “That was the toughest part about that ending. We really didn’t get to see it through. We were doing really well in the regular season, dominating that division, and we were ready to go. We had a special line with me, [Josh] Winquist, and [Josh] Kestner. That was a bummer with what happened in the world. It was tough playing that last game in front of no one. It was cool in a way, but it was hard to never get back out there again.”

The Blade: What records are you most proud of?

Berschbach: “I take a lot of pride in all of them. It was a great time for me, but honestly, I couldn’t have done it without all of those great guys I was playing with. And I couldn’t have asked for two better coaches in Derek and Watty. They laid down the expectations and let us play freely within our systems. They showed us how to be professional hockey players. They’re great people. They didn’t really sugarcoat anything. If you weren’t playing up to your standard, they’ll let you know.

“I could go down the list of the players, but I don’t want to leave anyone out. I definitely scroll back here on Twitter, and go back to those last runs and watch those playoff videos. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Toledo. I just took pride in being a good player who continued to produce in the playoffs.”

The Blade: What are your thoughts on Brandon Hawkins breaking some of your records?

Berschbach: “I think Hawk is a great guy to lose those records to. I really admire that guy and his commitment to the city of Toledo. He’s obviously been a great ambassador there. He’s a great dad and a great husband, too. It’s pretty random that I had the records and then he broke them because we’ve known each other since we were young kids. It’s pretty cool.”

The Blade: Why did you end up sticking in Toledo despite offers to play overseas, much like Hawkins?

Berschbach: “All of us are Michigan guys. We’re all within the Red Wings organization, which was our dream team to play for. Once we got to Toledo, we fell in love with the city. They kind of made it what it is, right? The people around downtown, the rink people, the media, the staff, and of course, the fans. So I think that’s what really welcomed us. When the other offers come, you realize maybe the grass isn’t always greener. It’s about enjoying going to the rink every day.”

The Blade: What do you think the celebration will be like when the Walleye finally break through and win the Kelly Cup?

Berschbach: “It’ll be awesome. I know a lot of people hope it comes soon. But some of these things take time. The foundation has been laid. The fan base gets bigger every year. It’s really not if, I think it’s more of when it happens. This group this season is knocking on the door. They could do it just as much as anyone. So hopefully they can. The celebration in that city would be crazy. They’ve been waiting for a long time.”

The Blade: How excited were you to see Western Michigan win the NCAA title?

Berschbach: “I had some good success at Western Michigan. When my Broncos broke through, it was awesome to see. I took the family down there, and they enjoyed it too. We’ve got to be in the building, and hopefully the Walleye can make that run too. I’m sure we’ll make it down and be in the building for that as well.”

The Blade: How are you staying involved in the game?

Berschbach: “I do video coaching with player development with a company called Force Hockey IQ and East Coast Prime. I do one-hour Zoom calls and go over their games and cross-reference them with NHL clips. Basically, I’m like a personal coach. It’s awesome. These kids really take to it. It’s a lot of visual learning nowadays, especially with the technology and the screens.”