Contract situation sorted.
Now, the work begins for Tyson Barrie.
The veteran blueliner inked a one-year deal with the Flames Thursday after attending training camp on a try-out.
The 33-year-old held court with the media Friday, relieved to have found another NHL home both for his and his family's sake.
“My son starts pre-school on Monday and he’s pretty stoked,” Barrie said with a smile. “So it would have been disappointing to tell him he wasn’t going. I’m glad it worked out.”
Barrie becomes the most tenured defenceman on the Flames’ back end, with 809 appearances - and more than 500 points - in the NHL. Calgary becomes his third Canadian stop, too, after stints in Toronto and Edmonton.
In a full-circle example of the hockey world being a small one, Barrie was actually dealt to the Leafs by the Avalanche in a trade that involved new teammate Nazem Kadri.
The pair traded homes at the time - in an NHL and domestic sense - and Barrie was quick to comment Friday that the Kadris have helped he and his family get settled here, too.
On the ice, though, Barrie is bent on proving Flames brass were wise to bring him in.
“My next goal is to re-establish myself as a full-time NHL player, and a good one at that,” he said. “Just be patient and wait for my chance to kind of make a mark.”
It helps that he’s had a long-standing relationship with head coach Ryan Huska, too. The pair go back to Barrie’s junior days, where along with Calgary captain Mikael Backlund they captured a WHL title with the Kelowna Rockets in 2009.
“He is a player that’s motivated right now, and feels he has a lot to prove,” Huska said of Barrie. “His strength is the offensive side of the game, for sure.
“I feel like he gives us another option offensively, on the powerplay, all that stuff. We’re excited to have him.”
Barrie isn’t expected to be in the lineup for the Flames’ preseason finale Friday night against the Jets (TICKETS), but he can rest easy, knowing his immediate future is no longer in doubt.
Next up, the regular season.
And a chance to keep showcasing his skills in the best league in the world.
“It’s cool to kind of keep the dream alive, keep playing in the National Hockey League,” he said. That was my goal, to come in and make the team.
“Nice to see it come to fruition, now the real work starts.”
