HARTFORD, Conn. − Brett Berard spent nearly two months living out his NHL dream with the Rangers, appearing in 19 games while scoring his first Madison Square Garden goal against the team he grew up rooting for.

But despite those lasting memories, the 22-year-old forward prospect couldn’t fully process the surreal experience until he arrived back in Hartford after being reassigned on Jan. 11.

“It didn’t even really hit me until I got back down here,” he said following Tuesday’s practice with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate at XL Center. “It was kind of all real at that time.”

With the Wolf Pack scheduled to play the next day, Berard didn’t have much time to sort through his thoughts or feel sorry for himself.

He believes that was a good thing.

“When they’re telling you you’re coming back here, it stinks in the moment,” he said. “But it’s an awesome organization. I’m still young, still trying to build upon my game, and I got thrown right back in (with Hartford). We played that Sunday. I got sent down Saturday, so there wasn’t too much time to dwell on that. You had to go back on the ice. Every game, every practice down here, they’re always watching, so you’ve got to play your best, no matter if the day before you got sent down or if you’re months into the season.”

Hartford head coach Grant Potulny has watched the Providence, R.I. native attack his latest assignment with that back-to-work mindset, noting that he never saw a hint of pouting from a player he called “a pro’s pro.”

“With Brett, you’re never concerned about effort or preparation or energy,” Potulny said. “It’s every shift, and that’s how he practices. It’s in the weight room. It’s just what he knows. He’s just one of those guys. That’s what he does every time, all the time.”

Berard was riding a three-game point streak before getting injured on Jan. 25, which cost him the next four games, but he returned last week and has registered four points (one goal and three assists) in his last two contests, including the go-ahead tally in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Lehigh Valley.

“You’re starting to see that speed that he’s got,” Potulny said. “You’re starting to see those scoring chances. He plays a lot of minutes for us, and he’s never lacking energy.”

Berard has proven he can score at the AHL level, with 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) through 25 games this season after leading the Wolf Pack with 25 goals in 2023-24. Those offensive skills flashed with the Rangers, as well, including a goal in his second career game against the Hurricanes − one he scored with his father, David, and several North Carolina-based relatives in attendance − and his first MSG goal against his childhood team, the Boston Bruins, on Jan. 2.

“That was something pretty crazy,” he said with a smile.

Those moments shared with family will always be cherished, but Berard’s priority moving forward is honing other aspects of his game, with his extended NHL stint sharpening that focus.

“The thing for me was kind of the wall play and the D zone,” he said. “Every (defensemen) in that league is unbelievable. They come down and crash on you. It’s hard. They’re strong, they’re big, and I think that was the biggest thing that I noticed – the difference between here and there. I want continue building on my defensive play, too. There’s some games I probably want back a little bit, but I’m still young. It’s all learning process, so just to take everything and then apply it down here.”

Credit the 2020 fifth-round draft pick for overcoming long odds and a small stature − he’s listed at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds − to reach this point.

His plus skating and non-stop motor have become calling cards and were evident in every game he played with the Rangers, but now it’s about harnessing that hustle in a responsible way. His likeliest NHL role will come as an energetic bottom-six winger, with his minus-eight rating, 42.5% scoring-chance share and 44.59% xGF, according to Natural Stat Trick, suggesting there’s still work to be done in terms of possession and defending.

Berard’s time in New York was eye-opening from that standpoint, with the team enduring a tumultuous 4-15 stretch along the way. But with another recall in the cards this season − particularly if the Rangers unload any veteran forwards before the March 7 trade deadline − he believes he’ll be better for it the next time an opportunity arises.

“You try to be as prepared as possible going up there, but you don’t really know what you need to work on until you experience it,” he said. “I’m more focused on the games, watching more and more video, so if I do get another crack at it, I can be better in those areas.”