Barberio gives Cats offence from blueline
Published Tuesday October 21st, 2008
Moncton hosts Chicoutimi Sagueneens tomorrow
When the Moncton Wildcats acquired Mark Barberio in a trade midway through 2006-07, he was known as a defensive defenceman. But it seems his identity has changed since then.
He began to take on a new look last season when he was the surprise runnerup in team scoring with 46 points, including 11 goals, in 70 games. That made him the ninth-highest scoring defenceman in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Barring injury, he will likely surpass those statistics this season and move into the top five in Wildcats career scoring for a defenceman. He has 11 points, including four goals, in 11 games.
"I don't want to be branded as somebody who's only a defensive defenceman or only an offensive defenceman,'' said Barberio. "I like to consider myself an all-around defenceman.
"I definitely take pride in my defensive zone. I want to limit opposition scoring chances and move the puck out of my zone quickly, but when I have the chance to jump into the offence I want to take advantage of it.''
Moncton, 11-0-2-0, is first overall in the QMJHL and the only club that hasn't yet suffered a regulation time loss. The Wildcats will look to extend their four-game winning streak when they face the Chicoutimi Sagueneens tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Moncton Coliseum.
Barberio, 18, is a third-year veteran and the No. 1 defenceman on a Moncton squad that is best defensively in the QMJHL with a 1.74 goals-against average. He was a sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2008 NHL draft.
The 6-foot-1, 201-pound youngster attended Tampa Bay's rookie camp. He also played for the Lightning in an NHL rookie tournament in Traverse City, Mich.
"It was definitely a good experience,'' he said. "There were some guys in rookie camp who have played a couple of seasons in the minor pros. It was definitely nice to meet some older guys, watch what they do before games and try to learn from them. It's an extra motivation now that I've been to my first rookie camp.
"They said they were happy with my play and happy with where I am right now in my development,'' he said. "One thing they told me, which I've been hearing my whole career, is they want me to improve my skating."
Barberio was taken in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2006 QMJHL draft. Moncton acquired him as part of the trade that sent defenceman Luc Bourdon to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles midway through 2006-07.
James Sanford is the career scoring leader for a Wildcats defenceman with 181 points. The top five is rounded out by Nathan Welton (123 points), Alexandre Vigneault (123 points), Andrew MacDonald (104 points) and Jonathan Desroches (96 points).
Barberio scored the winner and added an assist in Moncton's last game, a 2-1 overtime victory against Chicoutimi on Saturday. That gives him 64 points in 100 career games with the Wildcats and it's anyone's guess where he'll finish on the top five list. He'll be back next season.
"The real evaluation of Mark Barberio should not be his points total," said Moncton head coach Danny Flynn. "It should be his solid two-way play, the way he moves the puck and how he plays without the puck. I've seen growth in his overall game. He's quiet, but he's very competitive. He's got a great will to win and I know he has the respect of everybody in the room.''
Barberio was named to the QMJHL's all-rookie team in 2006-07 and he played for Team QMJHL in the 2007 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge.
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