Barry Tabobondung facts for kids

Barry Tabobondung (born April 3, 1961 – died July 11, 2000) was a professional ice hockey player from Canada. He was a member of the Ojibwe First Nation. Barry played as a defence player and a left winger.

The Philadelphia Flyers picked him in the third round of the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. This was the 47th pick overall. During his career, he played in several hockey leagues. These included the American Hockey League (AHL) and the International Hockey League (IHL). He also played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) and the ECHL.

Early Life and Amateur Hockey Career

Barry Tabobondung was born in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. He grew up on the Wasauksing First Nation reserve, which is close to Parry Sound. His grandmother was a tribal chief and received the Order of Canada. Barry's father also played amateur hockey.

As a child, his grandfather gave him the nickname "Hawk." Barry started his junior hockey career with the Newmarket Flyers. He then moved on to play for the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League.

Barry was able to be picked in the 1980 Draft, but no team chose him. So, he played another season in junior hockey. During this time, he changed his position to left wing. In his second season with the Oshawa Generals, he had 77 points. He also had 320 penalty minutes in 61 games.

The 1981 NHL Draft Story

Barry went to the 1981 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal. It was only the second time that junior players, who were not expected to be first-round picks, attended the draft. When the Philadelphia Flyers chose him, Barry was very excited. He was sitting high up in the Montreal Forum arena.

Instead of using the stairs, he started climbing over the seats to meet the Flyers' team. But his leg got stuck in a seat! He was stuck there for two hours. Arena workers had to remove an entire row of seats to free him. A hockey executive, Brian O'Neill, even made a joke. He said the Flyers could be sure Barry would always be available for games in Montreal.

Professional Hockey Career

Barry Tabobondung started his professional hockey journey in 1981. He joined the Maine Mariners, which was the Philadelphia Flyers' team in the American Hockey League. He played 132 games for them over two seasons. He also played 16 games for the Peoria Prancers in the 1981–82 season.

Starting in 1983, Barry played three seasons for the Erie Golden Blades. This team was part of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. In his first season, he was named to the league's Second All-Star Team. His team, the Golden Blades, also won the league championship that year.

During the 1984–85 season, Barry was chosen for the First All-Star Team. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He scored 12 goals and made 67 assists that season. In the playoffs, he added 2 goals and 8 assists. His time with the Golden Blades ended suddenly in February 1987.

Barry returned to Erie in 1990 to finish his career. He played for the Erie Panthers in the ECHL. He retired from professional hockey after the 1990–91 ECHL season. After retiring, he went back to his home reserve near Parry Sound.

Life After Retirement

After his hockey career, Barry Tabobondung became a coach. He helped coach junior hockey teams like the Parry Sound Shamrocks and the Couchiching Terriers.

Sadly, Barry passed away on July 11, 2000, in an accident. He was riding a road grader with his son, Tommy. Tommy fell from the machine, and Barry was caught under it while trying to save his son's life.