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| 1983 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
Tom Barrasso
Selected in first round
No. 5 overall by Buffalo Sabres
Born March 31, 1965
 | Position:
Goaltender
Height: 6-3 Weight: 195
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Acton-Boxborough (Mass. H.S.)
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts (USA)
Hometown:
Stow, Massachusetts |
 |
 |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | W-L-T |
GAA | SO |
SV% | | 1979-80 |
Acton-Box. | Mass. H.S. |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1980-81 |
Acton-Box. | Mass. H.S. |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1981-82 |
Acton-Box. | Mass. H.S. |
23 | -- |
1.86 | 7 |
n/a | | 1982-83 |
Acton-Box. | Mass. H.S. |
23 | 22-1-0 |
0.99 | 10 |
n/a |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships: 1983 (fifth place)
Mass. High School All-Scholastic First Team: 1979-80, 1980-81,
1981-82, 1982-83 (Acton-Boxborough)
Miscellaneous:
Rated by NHL Central Scouting Bureau as the No. 1 goaltender prospect for
the 1983 NHL draft. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 5, 1983 (Hartford at Buffalo)
Numbers:
30 (Buffalo); 31, 35 (Pittsburgh); 35 (Ottawa); 35 (Carolina);
30 (Toronto); 30 (St. Louis)
Stanley
Cup: 1991, 1992. Playing Status: Retired June 18, 2003 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP |
W-L-T | GAA |
SO | SV% |
| 1983-2002 |
BUF, PIT, OTT,
CAR, TOR, STL | 777 |
369-277-86 | 3.24 |
38 | .892 |
| | CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | W-L |
GAA |
SO | SV% |
| 1984-2000 |
Buff., Pitt., Ottawa | 119 |
61-54 | 3.01 | 6 |
.902 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Vezina Trophy: 1983-84 (Buffalo)
Calder Trophy: 1983-84 (Buffalo)
Jennings Trophy (Team GAA):
1984-85 (Buffalo) (with Bob Sauve)
Hockey News
Rookie of Year: 1983-84 (Buffalo)
Hockey News Comeback Player of Year: 1997-98
(Pittsburgh)
NHL All-Star First Team: 1983-84 (Buffalo)
NHL All-Star Second
Team: 1984-85 (Buffalo), 1992-93 (Pittsburgh)
Sporting News All-Star First Team: 1992-93
(Pittsburgh)
Sporting News
All-Star Second Team: 1983-84, 1984-85, 1987-88 (Buffalo)
NHL All-Rookie Team: 1983-84 (Buffalo)
All-Star Game: 1985
(Buffalo)
Buffalo Larkin Trophy (MVP): 1984-85, 1987-88
Buffalo Star of
Stars Trophy (Home 3-Stars Leader): 1987-88
Buffalo Hunt Trophy
(Rookie of Year): 1983-84
Pitt. DeBartolo Award (Community Service): 1993-94 (co-winner)
NHL Records: Most wins by a goaltender in one playoff year (16 for
Pittsburgh in 1992, shares record), most consecutive playoff wins (14 for
Pittsburgh from 1992 into 1993), most consecutive wins in one
playoff year (11 for Pittsburgh in 1992, shares record), most career points
by a goaltender (48), most career assists by a goaltender (48), most career
games played by a U.S.-born goaltender (777), most career
wins by a U.S.-born goaltender (369)
Buffalo Records: Most career
assists by a goaltender (17), most career penalty minutes by a goaltender
(182), most assists by a goaltender in one season (6 in 1984-85), most
penalty minutes by a goaltender in one season (50 in 1987-88), fewest saves
in a shutout (14, three times, shares record)
Pittsburgh Records: Most career games played by a goaltender (458), most
career minutes played by a goaltender (25,883), most career goals allowed
(1,409), most career shutouts (22), most career wins 226), most career
losses (153), most career ties (53), most career saves (12,070), most wins
in one season (43 in 1992-93), most consecutive wins (14 from March 9, 1993,
until April 9, 1993), most consecutive road wins (6 from March 14, 1993,
until April 9, 1993), most shutouts in one season (7 in 1997-98), most road
games played by a goaltender in one season (32 in 1997-98), most minutes
played on the road by a goalie in one season (1,932 in 1997-98), most home
wins in one season (24 in 1992-93), most road wins in one season (19 in
1992-93), most road shutouts in one season (6 in 1997-98), most home
shutouts in one season (3 in 1998-99, shares record), best winning
percentage in one season (.734 in 1992-93), lowest goals-against average in
one season (2.07 in 1997-98), lowest road goals-against average in one
season (1.83 in 1997-98), most career playoff
games played by a goalie (101), most career playoff wins (56), most
career playoff minutes played by a goalie (5,918), most career playoff
shutouts (6), most career playoff saves (2,523), most career playoff goals
allowed (286), most career playoff losses (42), most games played by a
goalie in one playoff year (21 in 1992), most minutes played by a
goalie in one playoff year (1,233 in 1992), most wins by a goalie in
one playoff year (16 in 1992), most saves by a goalie in one playoff
year (578 in 1991), most saves in one game
(57 at Chicago on March 12, 1989), most assists by a goalie in one season (8
in 1992-93), most consecutive wins in one playoff year (11 in
1992), most consecutive playoff wins (14 from 1992-1993)
NHL Goals-Against Average Leader:
1984-85 (Buffalo) (2.66 GAA)
NHL Wins Leader: 1992-93 (Pittsburgh)
(43 wins)
NHL Shutouts Leader: 1984-85 (Buffalo) (5 shutouts)
NHL Playoffs Goalie Games-Played Leader: 1992
(Pittsburgh) (21)
NHL Playoffs Minutes Leader: 1992 (Pittsburgh)
(1,233 minutes)
NHL Playoffs Goals-Against Average Leader: 1991
(Pitt.) (2.60)
NHL Playoffs Wins Leader: 1992 (Pittsburgh) (16
wins)
NHL Playoffs Shutouts Leader: 1990 (Pit.) (1, tie), 1993
(Pit.) (2, tie)
NHL Playoffs Save Percentage Leader: 1991
(Pittsburgh) (.919)
Miscellaneous:
Was first U.S. high school hockey goaltender to be selected in first round
of an NHL draft. ... Beat out veteran Jacques Cloutier to win spot on Buffalo's roster out of
training camp in 1984. ... Started Buffalo's 1983-84 season-opener at age 18
and made 21 saves in a 5-3 victory over Hartford, becoming youngest
goaltender to win an NHL game since Harry Lumley in 1944. ... Shared
goaltending duties with Bob Sauve for Buffalo in 1983-84. ... Named NHL
Rookie of Month in October 1983 and January 1984. ... Named NHL Player of
the Week for the week ending Jan. 15, 1984. ... Set Buffalo single-season
record (since broken) for penalty minutes by a goaltender with 20 in
1983-84. ... Named NHL Player of Week for week ending Dec. 31, 1984. ...
Voted by fans as starting goalie for Wales Conference in 1985 NHL All-Star
Game in Calgary. ... Missed remainder of 1984-85 season with allergic
reaction on lower left leg, a condition that led to hospitalization on April
2, 1985. ... Set Buffalo single-season record (since broken) for penalty
minutes by a goaltender with 41 in 1984-85. ... Tied Buffalo single-season
record (since broken) with five shutouts in 1984-85. ... Was runner-up to
Pelle Lindbergh for 1984-85 Vezina Trophy. ... Finished eighth in voting for
1984-85 Hart Trophy. ... Missed part of 1987-88 season with chip fracture of
ankle, an injury suffered during Buffalo's Nov. 7, 1987, game at Edmonton.
He did not return to action until Buffalo's Nov. 25, 1987, game at
Philadelphia. ... Named NHL Player of Month
for January 1988, becoming first Buffalo player to achieve that feat. ... Missed part of 1988 playoffs with pulled groin, an
injury suffered during Game 3 of Buffalo's first-round series vs. Boston on
April 9, 1988. ... Was runner-up to Grant Fuhr for 1987-88 Vezina Trophy.
... Missed parts of 1988-89 season with pulled groin, an injury suffered
during Pittsburgh's Jan. 17, 1989, game at N.Y. Islanders. He did not return
to action until Pittsburgh's Feb. 3, 1989, game vs. St. Louis. ... Missed
part of 1988-89 season with shoulder injury, suffered during Pittsburgh's
March 25, 1989, game vs. New Jersey. ... Set Pittsburgh single-season record
(since broken) for assists by a goalie with five in 1988-89. ... Tied
with Ron Hextall for NHL lead in assists by a goalie (8) in 1988-89. ...
Missed part of 1989-90 season with right wrist injury, suffered when hit by
a Russ Courtnall slap shot during
Pittsburgh's Oct. 14, 1989, game vs. Montreal. He re-aggravated the injury
during Pittsburgh's Oct. 25, 1989, game vs. Toronto, and doctors discovered
that the wrist was actually broken. The injury required surgery to remove a
bone fragment on Oct. 30, 1989, and Barrasso did not return until
Pittsburgh's Dec. 14, 1989, game at Minnesota. ... Missed part of 1989-90
season with pulled groin, an injury suffered in Pittsburgh's Jan. 28, 1990,
game at Buffalo. ... Named NHL Player of Month for December 1990. ... Missed
parts of 1990-91 season with finger, foot and groin injuries. ... Set
Pittsburgh single-season record (since broken) with 27
wins in 1990-91. ... Tied Pittsburgh records (since broken) for road wins
(10), consecutive wins (7) and assists by a goalie (5) during 1990-91
season. ... Set Pittsburgh playoff records (since broken) for games played
by a goalie in one year (20), wins by goalie in one year (12) and
minutes played by a goalie in one year (1,175) in 1991. ... Missed parts of
1991-92 season with bruised right hand, an injury suffered during
Pittsburgh's Oct. 29, 1991, game vs. Washington, with bruised right ankle,
an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Dec. 26, 1991, game vs. Toronto, and
with back spasms, an injury suffered in March 1992. ... Became Pittsburgh's
all-time wins leader when he passed Denis Herron with his 89th win on Nov.
20, 1992, at New Jersey. ... Missed part of 1992-93 season with chicken pox,
an illness contracted on Jan. 14, 1993. He did not return to action until
Pittsburgh's Feb. 8, 1993, game vs. Boston. ... Tied Pittsburgh record
(since broken) for games played by a goalie in one season with 63 in
1992-93. ... Ranked third in NHL with 3.01 GAA and fourth with .901 save
percentage in 1992-93. ... Was runner-up to Ed Belfour for 1992-93 Vezina Trophy. ...
Missed part of 1993-94 season with strained groin, an injury suffered during
Pittsburgh's Oct. 7, 1993, game vs. Montreal. He did not return to action until
Pittsburgh's Oct. 16, 1993, game vs. Hartford. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with
left hip injury,
suffered during Pittsburgh's Nov. 18, 1993, game vs. Washington -- the game
in which he recorded career victory No. 250. He did not return to
action until Pittsburgh's Dec. 28, 1993, game vs. Philadelphia. Just 6:37
into that game, he sprained his left knee. He did not return to action from
the knee injury until Pittsburgh's Feb. 4, 1994, game at Detroit. ... Set
NHL record for wins by a U.S. born goaltender when he passed Frank Brimsek
with his 253rd win vs. Winnipeg on Feb. 15, 1994. ... Missed most of
1995 season while recovering from surgery to repair tendon and cartilage
damage in right wrist. The injury, dating back to the 1994 playoffs, was
discovered after the 1994-95 NHL lockout, during a Pittsburgh practice in
mid-January 1995. Surgery was performed on Jan. 20, 1995, and Barrasso did
not make his 1995 season debut until Pittsburgh's April 26, 1995, game at
New Jersey ... Missed parts of 1995-96 season with back injury, suffered
during Pittsburgh's Dec. 3, 1995, game at Tampa Bay, and with pulled groin,
an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Dec. 7, 1995, game vs. Montreal. He
did not return to action from the groin injury until Pittsburgh's Dec. 30,
1995, game vs. Florida. ... Missed part of 1995-96 season with shoulder
injury, suffered during Pittsburgh's Feb. 3, 1996, game at Detroit. He did
not return to action until Pittsburgh's Feb. 16, 1996, game at Winnipeg. ...
Missed part of 1996 playoffs with back spasms, an injury suffered during
Game 4 of Pittsburgh's first-round series at Washington, on April 24, 1996.
... Missed remainder of 1996-97 regular season and entire 1997 playoffs with
re-aggravation of shoulder injury, suffered in October 1996. He made his
last start of the season in Pittsburgh's Nov. 1, 1996, game at Washington,
and did not play again after that due to pain in the shoulder. The injury
required season-ending surgery on Jan. 3, 1997. ... Won his 300th career NHL
game for Pittsburgh on Oct. 19, 1997, at Florida. In the process, he became
the first U.S.-born goalie to win 300 games. ... Missed parts of 1997-98
season with strained leg muscle, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Nov.
1, 1997, game vs. Vancouver, with strained quadriceps muscle, an injury
suffered during Pittsburgh's Dec. 29, 1997, game vs. N.Y. Islanders, with
hyper-extended elbow, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's March 5, 1998,
game vs. Chicago, with the flu, an illness contracted in late March 1998,
with bruised knee, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's April 7, 1998,
game vs. Phoenix, and with bruised finger, an injury suffered during
Pittsburgh's April 15, 1998, game vs. Tampa Bay. ... Ranked third in NHL
with 2.07 goals-against average and tied for second in NHL with .922 save
percentage in 1997-98. ... Missed parts of 1998-99 season with strained
groin, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Oct. 17, 1998, game vs. N.Y.
Rangers, with strained hip, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Dec. 21,
1998, game at Toronto, with strained neck, an injury suffered during
Pittsburgh's Jan. 26, 1999, game vs. Carolina, and with strained hip flexor,
an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Feb. 11, 1999, game vs. Vancouver.
... Became NHL's all-time highest-scoring goaltender when he recorded his
48th career assist during Pittsburgh's Jan. 5, 1999, game vs. Calgary. ...
Missed part of 1998-99 season with broken wrist, an injury suffered when he
was hit by Shayne Corson's slap shot during Pittsburgh's March 3, 1999, game
vs. Montreal. He did not return to action until Pittsburgh's April 11, 1999,
game at Detroit. ... Missed part of 1999-00 season with sprained knee, an
injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Oct. 7, 1999, game at New Jersey. He did not
return to action until Pittsburgh's Nov. 26, 1999, game vs. Ottawa. He won
that game with a 5-0 shutout. ... Suspended four games by NHL during 1999-00
season for slashing Yanic Perreault during second period of Pittsburgh's
Dec. 4, 1999, game at Toronto. Barrasso's slash broke Perreault's left arm.
No penalty was called on the play, but Toronto submitted the game tape to
the NHL for review, and the league announced Barrasso's suspension on Dec.
6, 1999. ... Missed part of 1999-00 season with back injury, suffered during
Pittsburgh's Dec. 18, 1999, game vs. Florida. He did not return to action
until Pittsburgh's Jan. 13, 2000, game at Colorado. ... Won his 350th career
NHL game for Pittsburgh on Jan. 31, 2000, vs. Atlanta. ... Traded by Pittsburgh
to Ottawa in exchange for Ron Tugnutt and Janne Laukkanen at the trading
deadline on March 14, 2000, because he was due to become a Group III
unrestricted free agent at the end of the 1999-00 season and agreed to waive
his no-trade clause. ... Missed remainder of 1999-00 regular season with
bruised left index finger, an injury suffered during the warm-ups before
Ottawa's April 4, 2000, game vs. Washington. ... Was represented by player
agent Steve Reich during latter part of his career. ... Signed one-year
contract with
Carolina as Group III unrestricted free agent on July 17, 2001. ... Missed
part of 2001-02 season with strained hamstring, an injury suffered during
Toronto's March 30, 2002, game vs. New Jersey. ... Signed
with St. Louis as a Group III unrestricted free agent on Nov. 1, 2002. ...
Released by St. Louis on Dec. 28, 2002. ... Signed with Pittsburgh as a Group III unrestricted free agent on June 18,
2003, enabling him to retire as member of Penguins organization.
The Amazing Jump: Tom Barrasso
achieved something in 1983 that will likely never again take place in the
NHL. Namely, Barrasso jumped straight from an American high school hockey
program to the National Hockey League, bypassing college or major junior
hockey. No goaltender before
had managed to do this, and none has done it since. In fact, Barrasso didn't
just reach the NHL. He became a first-team All-Star as a rookie, while winning
both the Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year and the Vezina Trophy
as the league's best goalie. This feat had only been achieved twice before,
by Frank Brimsek and Tony Esposito, both in years when the Vezina went to
the team with the lowest goals-against average rather than the best
individual goalie. Barrasso's achievement was later matched
by Ed Belfour in 1990-91. By winning the Calder Trophy, Barrasso became the
first American to win it since former Bruins goalie Brimsek won the award in
1938-39 and the first goaltender to win the award since Ken Dryden in
1971-72.
Long Leave of Absence: On July 1, 1989, Barrasso's
2-year-old daughter, Ashley, was diagnosed with cancer and given only a 15
percent chance of long-term survival. As the family dealt
with the shock of the illness, Barrasso attempted to play the season without
letting outsiders know about the illness. But as Ashley's condition worsened
and it became evident she needed advanced chemotherapy and radiation
treatments, Barrasso was given permission to leave the
Penguins and be with his daughter as she underwent the treatments in Los Angeles.
He left the team on Feb. 9, 1990, and did not return to Pittsburgh until
March 19, 1990, just three days before Ashley was released from Los Angeles
Children's Hospital with a much better prognosis. By the time Barrasso made
his next start on March 29, 1990,
he had missed 23 games. The team, however, had offered to let him miss the
rest of the season and playoffs if he felt it necessary.
A
Season Without Hockey: Barrasso sat out the entire 2000-01 NHL season in
order to spend the year at home with his family. The 1999-00 season had been
a particularly tough year for Barrasso. His father had died of cancer, and his daughter,
Ashley, continued to have her own problems with neuroblastoma cancer. Barrasso, an unrestricted free agent,
at first planned to play in 2000-01, and
he reportedly told Ottawa he wanted $7 million for a two-year contract.
Ottawa balked at the offer, and Barrasso began looking for a new team.
However, he told all potential new teams that he would have to be a No. 1
goaltender if he signed. Unable to get his demands met, and deciding he
would rather be at home, Barrasso chose not to
sign with any NHL team for 2000-01. He made a comeback by signing with Carolina in July
2001. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Team USA; Rochester (AHL)
Olympics:
2002 (silver medal)
Canada Cup: 1984 (fourth place), 1987 (fifth
place)
World Championships: 1986 (sixth place)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Acton-Boxborough Colonial Club (Hall of Fame): Inducted
1993
Miscellaneous: Suffered twisted knee while playing for Sabres in July
1985 Molson Softball Tournament at Niagara Falls, Ontario. ... Demoted to
Rochester (AHL) from Oct. 27, 1984, to Nov. 3, 1984, for the only
minor-league stint of his career. He had been sent down after losing to the
Red Wings in Detroit. ... Played on Buffalo's off-season charity softball
team. ... Active in charitable causes during his playing days in
Buffalo, including work on New York Governor Mario Cuomo's Athletes Against
Drunk Driving program. ... Founded the Ashley Barrasso Cancer Research Fund
during the 1990s after his daughter survived bout with cancer. ... Named one
of Ten Outstanding Young Americans by United States Jaycees in January 1994.
So Long, Team USA: After the 1983 draft, Barrasso initially planned
to spend the 1983-84 season with the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that would
compete in the Sarajevo Winter Games. In July 1983, he reported to the
team's training camp and spent at least four weeks with the team. Reports
surfaced that Barrasso was unpopular with other Team USA players due to his
allegedly arrogant attitude at the training camp. The opportunity to sign a
lucrative contract with the Sabres was a definite distraction, and on Aug.
30, 1983, Barrasso told Team USA coach Lou Vairo that he would leave the
Olympic team to attend Buffalo's training camp. Barrasso denied that his
decision to leave had anything do with disliking the Team USA atmosphere,
and said he would not have left if he didn't feel the team already had two
good goaltenders in Marc Behrend and Bob Mason. Barrasso said he understood
that Vairo planned to alternate goalies for the pre-Olympic tour and then
play the hottest goaltender in the Olympics. He said he had not demanded any
guarantee that he would be the No. 1 goalie.
Personal: Full name is Thomas Patrick Barrasso. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: Buffalo traded Barrasso and 1990
third-round pick (Joe Dziedzic) to Pittsburgh in exchange for Doug Bodger and
Darrin Shannon on November 12, 1988. |
|
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|
SNAPSHOT '83 | | Total Selected: |
242 | | Forwards: |
134 | | Defense: |
86 | | Goaltenders: |
22 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
19/5 | | College Players: |
15 | | High School: |
47 |
| Canadian: |
148 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
60 | | U.S.-Born: |
60 |
| European: |
34 |
| Reached NHL: |
113 |
| Stanley Cup: |
21 | | Hall of Fame: |
4 |
| All-Star Game: |
20 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
34 |
| Picks Traded: |
41 |
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