Bernikov began his career with
Dynamo Moscow in the
Russian Superleague during the
1996–97 season, playing two games. He then spent a season with
Dinamo-Energija Yekaterinburg before splitting the
1998–99 season with four different teams, playing one game for
CSKA Moscow, six for Dynamo Moscow, twenty for
Krylya Sovetov Moscow and five
Severstal Cherepovets. The following season, he had another short spell with Dynamo, playing six games, before suiting up for
Amur Khabarovsk for fourteen games. Bernikov was selected in the 5th round (139th overall) of the
2000 NHL Entry Draft by the
Dallas Stars though he remained in Russia and never played in North America. He would spend the next two seasons with Amur Khabarovsk before returning to Krylya Sovetov in 2002 for one season. In 2003, Bernikov joined
Lada Togliatti. He then returned ro Severstal Cherepovets midway through the
2004–05 season before spending the following season with three different teams,
Ak Bars Kazan,
Khimik Moscow Oblast and
Salavat Yulaev Ufa. For the
2007–08 season, Bernikov joined
Sibir Novosibirsk, but left mid-season and
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. It turned out to be the final season of the Superleague as it would be replaced by the
Kontinental Hockey League. He would split the
inaugural KHL season with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and
Vityaz. After a brief return with Amur Khabarovsk the following year where he played nine games, Bernikov played six games for
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod during the
2010–11 season, his 14th and last top-tier Russian team. After spending the next three seasons in the second-tier
Supreme Hockey League for
Kazzinc-Torpedo and
Buran Voronezh, Bernikov finished his career playing four seasons in
Asia League Ice Hockey, three season with the Russian-based
Sakhalin and one final season with the
South Korean team
Anyang Halla before retiring in 2018. ==Career statistics==