Antonio Jason LaBarbera (born January 18, 1980) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...

who played parts of 11 seasons in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL). He was originally drafted by the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft during his

major junior Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National List of members of the International Ice Hockey Federation, Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's nationa ...

career in the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...

(WHL), and also played for the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...

, and

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...

during his NHL career.

Playing career

Amateur

As a youth, LaBarbera played in the 1993

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...

with a

minor ice hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...

team from Langley, British Columbia. LaBarbera played major junior ice hockey in the

(WHL) primarily with the

Portland Winter Hawks The Portland Winterhawks are a junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1950 as the Edmonton Oil Kings, the team relocated to Portland in 1976 and was known as the Winter Hawks until 2009. The team plays in the U.S. Divisio ...

for four seasons and briefly with the

Tri-City Americans The Tri-City Americans are an American major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League and based in Kennewick, Washington. Founded in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes, the team settled in Kennewick in 1988 after a number of re ...

and

Spokane Chiefs The Spokane Chiefs are an American major junior ice hockey team based in Spokane, Washington. The Chiefs play in the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League's Western Conference, playing home games at Spokane Arena. The Chiefs are two-time M ...

. He was drafted by the

in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft in the third round, 66th overall.

Professional

New York Rangers (2000–2005)

LaBarbera saw his first NHL action with the New York Rangers in his first season out of junior in relief of Kirk McLean, his childhood hero, on October 14, 2000. He recorded two saves in ten minutes of play in an 8–6 loss to the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

. He spent his first four seasons with the Rangers' organization, however, in the minor leagues with the

Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affiliate of the ...

of the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

and the

Hartford Wolf Pack The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the PeoplesBank Arena. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL). The 2003–04 season brought an increase in playing time for LaBarbera with the Rangers. In the midst of a spectacular season with the Wolf Pack, which culminated in a

Les Cunningham Award The Les Cunningham Award is given annually to American Hockey League's "Most Valuable Player" of the regular season, as voted on by AHL media and players. The award was first presented in the 1947–48 season, is named after Les Cunningham, a five ...

as AHL MVP and an Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as top goaltender, he was called up to the Rangers and played in four games that season. LaBarbera recorded a 1–2–0 record, 4.85

goals against average Goals against average (GAA), also known as average goals against (AGA), is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on spo ...

(GAA) and a .824

save percentage Save percentage (often known by such symbols as SV%, SVS%, SVP, PCT) is a statistic in various Goal (sports), goal-scoring sports that track Save (goaltender), saves as a statistic. In ice hockey and lacrosse and association football, it is a sta ...

during his brief stint. His lone NHL victory that season, the first of his career, was a 3–2 win over the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...

on March 5, 2004. Continuing to play with the Wolf Pack during the

2004–05 NHL lockout The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would have been its 88th season of play. The main dispute was the league's desire to implement a salary cap to ...

, LaBarbera earned the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award for allowing the fewest goals in the League.

Los Angeles Kings (2005–2008)

Despite another successful season in the AHL, the Rangers did not re-sign LaBarbera, presumably due to the Rangers' deep depth in goal, with standout draft picks

Henrik Lundqvist Henrik Lundqvist (; born 2 March 1982) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers. Before winning the Vezina Trophy in 2012, he was nominated in each ...

and Al Montoya in the team's pipeline. Instead, he signed as a free agent with the

in the off-season. LaBarbera's first full season in the NHL was spent backing-up Kings starting goaltender

Mathieu Garon Mathieu Carol Garon (; born January 9, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue ...

. He got off to a quick start with the Kings, going undefeated in his first seven starts. LaBarbera earned his first career NHL shutout on April 17, 2006, blanking the

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...

in a 4–0 victory. In 2006–07, LaBarbera played for the Kings' minor league affiliate, the

Manchester Monarchs Manchester Monarchs may refer to: *Manchester Monarchs (AHL) (2001–2015) *Manchester Monarchs (ECHL) The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 ECHL season, 2015–16 season. Bas ...

, in the AHL. Despite injuries to Kings goaltenders Mathieu Garon and

Dan Cloutier Daniel Cloutier (born April 22, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender, who has recently taken on an Executive position with the Ontario Hockey League , OHL Guelph Storm, the team he completed his Junior Career. In his 10- ...

during the season, the Kings were hesitant to recall LaBarbera because he was

waiver A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege. A waiver is often written, such as a disclaimer that has been accepted, but it may also be spoken between two or more parties. When the right to hold a ...

eligible, which required him to clear waivers in order to be recalled and demoted, making it likely that he would be claimed by another team. LaBarbara completed the season with the Monarchs and earned the second Harry Holmes Memorial Award and Aldege Bastien Memorial Award of his AHL career. In the off-season, LaBarbera re-signed with the Kings to a two-year contract on July 3, 2007. LaBarbera earned more playing time in 2007–08, appearing in a career-high 45 games with a 3.00 GAA and a .910 save percentage.

Vancouver Canucks (2008–2009)

The following season, on December 30, 2008, LaBarbera was traded to his hometown team, the

, in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick in

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, a trade resulting in the emergence of rookie goaltender

Jonathan Quick Jonathan Douglas Quick (born January 21, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Quick was selected in the third round, 72nd overall, by the Los Angeles Kings at the ...

. The Canucks dealt for LaBarbera in light of injuries to

Roberto Luongo Roberto Luongo (, , ; born April 4, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Vancouver Canucks. In 2022, Luongo was ...

and backup Curtis Sanford. LaBarbara earned his first win with the Canucks in his club debut, making 31 saves in a 2–1 victory over the

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...

on January 1, 2009.

Phoenix Coyotes (2009–2013)

LaBarbera was signed to a two-year, $2 million contract by the

to back-up Coyotes starter Ilya Bryzgalov on July 1, 2009. LaBarbara compiled a total record of 15–11–4 in his first two seasons in Phoenix. On June 6, 2011, he was re-signed by the Coyotes to another two-year contract.

Edmonton Oilers (2013)

On July 5, 2013, during the

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

period of 2013, LaBarbera signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the

. He competed with

Richard Bachman Richard Bachman is a pen name (as well as a fictional character) of American horror fiction author Stephen King, adopted in 1977 for the novel '' Rage''. King hid the link between himself and Bachman, until allowing for his identification in 1985 ...

to be the backup to starter Devan Dubnyk. After Bachman was injured, then sent down to Edmonton's AHL affiliate, LaBarbera won the backup job in Edmonton.

Chicago Blackhawks (2013–2014)

On December 14, 2013, LaBarbera was traded to the

in exchange for future considerations. LaBarbera never appeared in a game for the Blackhawks. Instead, he went (15-15-2) with the

Rockford Icehogs The Rockford IceHogs are a professional ice hockey team based in Rockford, Illinois. They are members of the American Hockey League (AHL), having begun play in the League starting in the 2007–08 season. The team plays their home games at the ...

, the team's AHL affiliate.

Anaheim Ducks (2014–2015)

On July 1, 2014, the

signed LaBarbera as a free agent to a one-year, $750,000 contract. He attended the Ducks' training camp before ultimately being assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, after clearing waivers.

Philadelphia Flyers (2015–2016)

On July 2, 2015, LaBarbera signed a one-year, two-way contract with the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

. He never appeared for the Flyers, but rather spent the entire season in the AHL with the

Lehigh Valley Phantoms The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The team competes in the American Hockey League (AHL) and serves as the primary development team for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey Le ...

. On July 19, 2016, LaBarbera announced his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player Labarbera accepted a role as the goaltending coach of the

Calgary Hitmen The Calgary Hitmen are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL), hosting their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "Hitman" Hart, a prof ...

of the Western Hockey League. On December 16, 2020, LaBarbera was named the new goaltending coach for the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...

Personal life

LaBarbera and his wife Kodette are the parents of two sons, Ryder and Easton. Ryder was diagnosed with

autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

. Kodette starred in the Canadian

W Network W Network (often shortened to W) is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts general entertainment programming oriented towards a female audience. W Network was ...

TV show '' Hockey Wives'' and talked about her son's autism treatment program in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

.Two Sons Born to Vancouver Canuck Players
Celebrity Baby Blog, March 3, 2009

Career statistics

Awards

* Named to the WHL All-Star Team in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

. * Named to the AHL First All-Star Team in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

. * Awarded the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award (AHL Top Goaltender) in 2004 and 2007. * Awarded the

(AHL MVP) in 2004. * Awarded the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award (AHL, fewest team goals against) in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

and 2007.

Records

* Most

shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...

s in one season in the AHL – 13 ( 2003–04)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Labarbera, Jason 1980 births Anaheim Ducks players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Charlotte Checkers (1993–2010) players Edmonton Oilers players Hartford Wolf Pack players Lehigh Valley Phantoms players Living people Los Angeles Kings players Manchester Monarchs (AHL) players New York Rangers draft picks New York Rangers players Norfolk Admirals players Oklahoma City Barons players Phoenix Coyotes players Portland Winterhawks players Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players Spokane Chiefs players Ice hockey people from Burnaby Tri-City Americans players Vancouver Canucks players 21st-century Canadian sportsmen