He has covered the Montreal Canadiens, travels Canada reporting on the Ottawa Senators' efforts, and was French announcer for hockey games at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010.
The 29-year-old has a very satisfying career but, with his 30th birthday coming up in September, he wants to get back on the ice.
He has chosen the Dunedin Thunder and the New Zealand Ice Hockey League to make his return.
"At 19 I realised I wasn't going to make it to the NHL, so I told myself the best way to reach my dream was to become a reporter," Bertrand said.
"I decided to start as a reporter, went to college and graduated in journalism and communication and the wheels started turning. I got a job on TV, got a job on radio and every year I wanted to play hockey and take it seriously. But every year I had a good reason for not doing it.
"But I'm about to turn 30 ...and it is like a mark point in my life. [Returning to hockey] is something I wanted to do because once you get older it is the kind on project you can't do any more.
"I see life as a sort of grocery list. For me, doing the Olympics was a goal checked. Being a part of the NHL in my own way, that was a goal checked. Playing hockey was the one last thing I need to check before becoming a father, before getting married, before becoming a real man."
With his long-term girlfriend encouraging him to pursue his dream, Bertrand started looking for options in Australia and New Zealand. The season down under fitted in perfectly with his work commitments so he started firing off emails.
"I got a lot of positive responses from clubs but I really liked the approach of the Thunder. We had a Skype interview and it was the only club with a human approach where we could talk face to face [over the internet].
"The contract they sent was handwritten by a lawyer and it gave me a feeling of confidence because it was more serious than what other clubs were offering."
Bertrand is one of four new imports joining the Thunder this season. American Thomas Stevens, Canadian Hassan Saeed and Frenchman Yvan Kerneis will all add starch to what is expected to be a formidable defensive line.
Saeed is from Vancouver and played hockey for the University of Ottawa and has also recently spent time as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers. Stevens played for St Mary's University in Minnesota, and Kerneis joins the Thunder from his French second division team, the Viry Chatillon Jets.
Englishmen Mat Enright is also returning for another season.
The Thunder's season gets under way in Auckland next weekend with back-to-back fixtures against the West Auckland Admirals.
