Cameron Barker (born April 4, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He was selected third overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks and spent four seasons with the club before being traded to the Minnesota Wild in 2010. Internationally, Barker played for the Canadian national team, and won back-to-back gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Championships with the junior team. He is widely regarded as a top draft bust.[1]
| Cam Barker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Barker with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2009 | |||
| Born |
April 4, 1986 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Chicago Blackhawks Minnesota Wild Edmonton Oilers Vancouver Canucks Barys Astana HC Slovan Bratislava SCL Tigers Ilves Tampere Dragons de Rouen | ||
| NHL Draft |
3rd overall, 2004 Chicago Blackhawks | ||
| Playing career | 2006–2021 | ||
Playing career edit
As a youth, Barker played in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Winnipeg South Monarchs minor ice hockey team.[2] He later played AAA Midget Hockey for the Winnipeg Thrashers at age 14.[citation needed] After that season he was drafted 4th overall in the 2001 WHL Bantam Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers.[3]
The following season, Barker moved east to play for the Gloucester Rangers and eventually the Cornwall (ON) Colts Jr.A. club of the Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL) before signing with the Tigers at the end of the same 2001–02 season.[citation needed]
Barker began his junior hockey career in 2001–02 with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL), appearing in three games. The following season, he led his team in scoring among defencemen with 47 points and was named to the WHL All-Rookie Team. He improved to a junior career-high 65 points in 60 games in 2003–04, leading the Tigers to a President's Cup championship. As WHL champions, they earned a berth in the 2004 Memorial Cup, however, Medicine Hat was defeated by the Gatineau Olympiques in the semi-final.[4]
He was drafted third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and was signed to an entry-level contract by Chicago on August 22, 2005.[5] He made the Blackhawks opening roster out of training camp in 2005–06 and made his NHL debut against the Colorado Avalanche, but was returned after one game to Medicine Hat,[6] where he completed the season with 18 points in 26 games.[3]
Barker began the 2006–07 season injured, having undergone ankle surgery in September.[7] After recovering, he joined the Norfolk Admirals, Chicago's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, making his Norfolk debut on November 3, 2006. He recorded his first professional point on November 21 against the Manchester Monarchs, assisting on the game-winning overtime goal. A few games later, he scored his first professional goal on November 29 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a 6–3 loss. Later in the season, he was called up by the Blackhawks and scored his first NHL goal on January 14, 2007, against the Minnesota Wild.[8] He finished his rookie season playing in 35 games with Chicago and recording 8 points.
Despite finishing his rookie season with the Blackhawks, he was reassigned to the AHL to begin 2007–08. Joining the Rockford IceHogs in their inaugural AHL season (the team previously played in the United Hockey League), he assisted on the first ever goal in IceHogs AHL history on October 6, 2007, against the Quad City Flames. Barker had been selected to play at the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic,[9] but did not attend as he was once again recalled by the Blackhawks. In his second stint with the Blackhawks, he improved to six goals and 18 points in 45 games.[3]
Barker did not make the Blackhawks cut for the start of the 2008–09 season and was assigned once again to Rockford. With the Blackhawks just under the salary cap, Barker's $2.8 million cap hit would have put them over the limit. However, general manager Dale Tallon asserted that Barker's demotion was not based on salary cap considerations.[10] After 7 games with Rockford, he was called up by the Blackhawks and remained with the team. Barker finished the season six goals, 34 assists, and a plus-minus of -6.[citation needed]
With Barker becoming a restricted free agent in the off-season, the NHL Players Association filed a grievance on July 6, 2009, against the Blackhawks on Barker's behalf for not extending a qualifying offer by the required deadline. As such, the NHLPA argued that Barker (as well as five other Blackhawks players in the same situation) qualified as an unrestricted free agent and could entertain offers from other teams around the league.[11] The Blackhawks quickly came to terms with Barker the same day, re-signing him to a three-year contract worth US$9.25 million.[12]
Given salary cap constraints caused by having to overpay Barker and others, he was traded on February 12, 2010, to the Minnesota Wild for defenceman Kim Johnsson and defensive prospect Nick Leddy.[13] He was placed on waivers by Minnesota on June 28, 2011, with the intention of buying out his contract.[14]
Barker signed a one-year contract worth $2.25 million with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, 2011.[15] On June 25, 2012, he was not tendered a contract and released as a free agent by the Oilers.[citation needed]
In September 2012, Barker was invited to the AHL's Texas Stars training camp and later made it to the main roster. Barker marked his first return to the AHL since 2008 in debuting for the Stars to start the 2012–13 season, on October 13 in a game against San Antonio Rampage. After 23 games with Texas, his professional try-out was not extended and he left the team.[16]
On January 13, 2013, Barker signed a one-year contract worth $700,000 with the Vancouver Canucks.[17] Barker was not re-signed by the Canucks and became an unrestricted free agent on July 5, 2013.[citation needed]
On November 5, 2013, Barker signed a one-year deal with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).[18] After spending the 2013–14 season in the KHL, Barker returned to North America and attended training camp with the Blackhawks on a player tryout offer. However, on September 27, 2014, the Blackhawks announced that they had released Barker, leaving him as an unrestricted free agent.[19] On December 22, 2014, Barker signed a contract until the end of the 2014–15 KHL season with HC Slovan Bratislava,[20] and then had his contract renewed for the 2015–16 season.[21] He left Bratislava after two years to return to Barys Astana in May 2016.[22]
After another shortened stint with Slovan Bratislava, Barker left the KHL and signed with the SCL Tigers of the Swiss National League (NL) on January 12, 2018, until the end of the 2017-18 season.[23] In November 2018, he signed a contract until the end of season (including a try-out until the end of November) with Ilves Tampere but after playing seven games, his contract was terminated on try-out.[24]
After spending his last two professional seasons in France with the Dragons de Rouen of the Ligue Magnus, Barker ended his 15-year playing career by retiring and accepting an assistant coaching role with junior Canadian club, the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), on June 23, 2021.[25]
International play edit
 Barker with Team Canada at the 2006 World Junior Championships | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Canada
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 |
2006 Canada | |
| |
2005 Canada | |
| Spengler Cup | ||
| |
2012 Davos | |
Barker was a part of Team Canada's gold medal-winning team at the 2005 World Junior Championships. However, he contracted mononucleosis midway through the tournament and was only able to appear in the first 3 games.[6] Barker made his second straight World Junior appearance in 2006 as the only returning player on Team Canada's roster. He repeated as gold medal champion with Team Canada, which defeated Russia in the final.
Career statistics edit
Regular season and playoffs edit
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2001–02 | Cornwall Colts | CJHL | 72 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 132 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 64 | 10 | 37 | 47 | 79 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 17 | ||
| 2003–04 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 69 | 21 | 44 | 65 | 105 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 2004–05 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 52 | 15 | 33 | 48 | 99 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 16 | ||
| 2005–06 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 26 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 63 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 59 | ||
| 2006–07 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 34 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 53 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 35 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 29 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 45 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 68 | 6 | 34 | 40 | 65 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 51 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 19 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 52 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Texas Stars | AHL | 23 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Barys Astana | KHL | 26 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 26 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2014–15 | Slovan Bratislava | KHL | 18 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Slovan Bratislava | KHL | 55 | 9 | 31 | 40 | 75 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | Barys Astana | KHL | 55 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 46 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 2017–18 | Slovan Bratislava | KHL | 37 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | SCL Tigers | NL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Ilves | Liiga | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Dragons de Rouen | FRA | 12 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Dragons de Rouen | FRA | 22 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 310 | 21 | 75 | 96 | 290 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 2 | ||||
| KHL totals | 191 | 19 | 68 | 87 | 184 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 22 | ||||
International edit
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Canada | U18 | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Canada | WJC | 
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2006 | Canada | WJC |
|
6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 18 | |
| Junior totals | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 26 | ||||
Awards and honours edit
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| WHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2003 | |
| CHL All-Rookie Team | 2003 | |
| Ed Chynoweth Cup (Medicine Hat Tigers) | 2004 | |
| AHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2008 | |
| KHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2016 | |
| Most Points by Defenseman (40) | 2016 | |
| Ligue Magnus | ||
| Champions (Dragons de Rouen) | 2021 | |
References edit
- ^ "The 5 Biggest Blackhawks Busts this Century". The Hockey Writers. 2015-07-29. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ^ a b c "Cam Barker". Elite Prospects.
- ^ "2004 Semi-Finals: Gatineau vs. Medicine Hat – Memorial Cup".
- ^ "Coyotes keep Mara in pack". ESPN. 2005-08-23. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ a b "Juniors depending on Barker". CANOE. 2005-12-11. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Blackhawks D Barker to undergo ankle surgery". ESPN. 2006-09-15. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ "Demitra rallies Wild past reeling Blackhawks in shootout". ESPN.com. January 15, 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
Barker, recalled earlier in the day from Norfolk of the AHL, scored on a 5-on-3 power play for his first NHL goal.
- ^ "2008 CANADIAN AHL ALL-STAR TEAM ANNOUNCED". theahl.com. January 9, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ "Tallon says Barker's demotion a 'hockey decision'". Daily Herald. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- ^ "NHLPA files grievance for mishandled qualifying offers". The Sports Network. 2009-07-06. Archived from the original on 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ Marc, Kiley (2009-07-09). "Blackhawks re-sign Cam Barker, five others". Chicago Now. Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
- ^ "WILD SEND JOHNSSON, LEDDY TO BLACKHAWKS FOR BARKER". TSN.ca. February 12, 2010.
- ^ Russo, Michael. "Cam Barker on waivers, buyout possible". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ "NHL Free Agent Tracker". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ "Texas Stars Release Cam Barker From PTO". Texas Stars. 2012-12-19. Archived from the original on 2014-12-27. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Canucks sign D Barker to one-year contract". The Sports Network. 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ^ "Veteran NHLer Cam Barker signs with KHL squad". Prohockeytalk | NBC Sports. NBC Sports. November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
- ^ "Blackhawks Reduce Roster to 38". Chicago Blackhawks Official Website. September 27, 2014.
- ^ "NOVÝ MUŽ V OBRANE SLOVANA". hcslovan.sk (in Slovak). December 22, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ @hcslovanba (July 10, 2015). "Cam Barker will stay one more year at #hcslovan! #congratulations #VerniSlovanu @khl" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "КАМБЭК КЭМА". hcbarys.kz (in Russian). May 4, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ "SCL Tigers sign Cam Barker and Nolan Diem". Swiss Hockey News. January 12, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
- ^ "Tryoutilla olleen Cam Barkerin vamma vaati leikkauksen, puolustaja ei jatka Ilveksessä". Ilves.com (in Finnish). Ilves-Hockey Oy. 28 November 2018.
- ^ "Vees announce 2020-21 coaching staff". Penticton Vees. June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
External links edit
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database