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Princeton University Athletics
Barber Shopping
January 12, 2000 | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 23, 1999
It's about that time when prospective students will walk around the university and try to decide whether Old Nassau is the place for them.
There are a number of selling points. With the fallen leaves around it, Nassau Hall is as lovely as any sight on campus. The old buildings which have stood for hundreds of years have a certain feel of homeliness to them.
And, let's face it, it's Princeton. The name kind of sells itself.
So what was it for Chris Barber? A baseball and hockey standout in Alliston, Ont., Barber was pretty certain he wanted to further his education in Canada. He changed his mind and enrolled at Princeton. Why?
“It was the fact that they called me,” the senior defenseman says.
Everything in life should be that simple.
“I wasn't really looking at schools in the U.S.,” he continues. “I really liked the idea of playing hockey here. Plus, there are the opportunities at an Ivy League school. The doors that they open. “Or at least the doors I hope they open.”
While every senior has some concerns about the future, Barber's main concerns are about the present. The economics major has the typical senior workload, and he has an added load on the ice. When the famed Class of 1999 traded their sticks for diplomas, the significantly under-appreciated Class of 2000 had to take over as leaders of a young, inexperienced squad.
“There are no real superstars in this class,” Barber says of his classmates, which include Craig Bradley, Brad Meredith, Benoit Morin and captain Darren Yopyk. “We have a lot of role players that fit pretty well. We fit well with the class ahead of us. We're close as well.”
The term 'role player' fits Barber well. With standout defensemen like Yopyk, Steve Shirreffs and Jackson Hegland leading the Princeton defense in recent years, Barber has quietly become a reliable defenseman despite a shoulder injury that has affected him off and on since ninth grade at Banting Memorial.
Although baseball and hockey were his top two sports, Barber was like most boys growing up. He loved to play sports, loved to compete. He decided to give rugby a try and played for two years until a tackle separated his right shoulder. The injury has never fully healed, although it certainly helped form his future choices.
“I was better at baseball,” Barber, a former short stop and second baseman, says. “Hockey was just what I did because I loved the sport.”
The injury affected his ability to hit enough that Barber had to focus more attention on hockey. Princeton is better because of it, better because Barber brings his fierce competitive spirit to the ice each and every night.
Even if some nights recently have been more frustrating than others.
“I just love to play, but I like to win as well,” he says. “I realize we lost a lot of talent last year, we lost players that logged a lot of minutes. I'm still not sure just how good a team we can be.”
Part of that mystery surrounds the underclassmen, but every team faces those same questions. The rarity of this team is the fact that junior and seniors, like Barber, have significant added responsibilities.
Granted, those responsibilities weren't necessarily offensive ones. He came into the season with seven points in 69 career games, including three goals. He has scored two points in the last two games, and his play has helped earn the Tigers three points, including their first win of the season at Yale.
Barber's only goal this year came in the third period of a shootout at Dartmouth. After the Tigers rallied to get to within one goal, he scored on a slap shot that managed to get through traffic and past Big Green goaltender Nick Boucher.
“That was kind of a flukey goal,” Barber says with a chuckle. “It must have hit the goalie's stick or something.”
While that tally may have received some help from above, the goal he assisted on at Yale was well-earned and may have helped signal a change in the season. After the Bulldogs held a 1-0 for half of the game, Barber intercepted a pass in the Yale defensive zone and fired a shot at goaltender Dan Lombard. Morin positioned himself in front of the net and redirected the puck top shelf to tie the score.
The Tigers had survived an onslaught by the speedy Bulldogs and pulled even. When Ethan Doyle scored a shorthanded goal midway through the third period, their hard work was rewarded with a victory.
Barber has been a big part of the past two weekends, and he has broad expectations for the rest of the season. They aren't very specific, but they're real.
“I just want to have a good season and for the team to play well. I'm not going to judge my play by my stats. If I did that, I might have quit a long time ago,” he says with a laugh.
A long time ago, Barber likely never dreamed of playing hockey at Princeton, either. Then he got a phone call.
Good thing for both sides.