As a teenager, Tyson Barrie was piling up points with the U18 Juan de Fuca Grizzlies, scoring 130 in just 72 games at age 15.
Now, nearly 20 years later, the Victoria-born defenceman has announced his retirement after 14 seasons in the NHL.
Barrie, 34, built a reputation as one of the league’s most reliable offensive defencemen.
He developed with the Kelowna Rockets, appearing in 256 WHL games over five years and recording 228 points. Named captain in his final season, he helped lead the Rockets to the 2009 Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions.
The Colorado Avalanche drafted Barrie 64th overall that same year, beginning a pro career that spanned 822 NHL games with the Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames. His career earnings topped $47 million.
Along the way he totalled 508 points, including a league-best scoring season for all NHL defencemen in 2020-21.
His point total is second most by any Victoria-born NHL player, only trailing Jamie Benn (956).
In 2022-23, Barrie joined a short list of players to appear in at least 85 games in one year, reaching the mark due to a mid-season trade from Edmonton to Nashville.
On the international stage, Barrie represented Canada at the 2008 U17 World Hockey Championship, the 2011 World Juniors, and the World Championships in 2015 and 2016.
His retirement also extends a family connection to the NHL. His father, Len Barrie, appeared in 184 games between 1990 and 2001, making them part of the small group of father-son duos to play in the league.
