Color of Hockey: Barriga hoping 'Michigan' goal helps further career overseas

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, as part of NHL.com's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, he profiles Elijiah Barriga, a Mexican American forward from West Covina, California, who starred with Belfast of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom last season.

Elijiah Barriga is disappointed his second season in the Elite Ice Hockey League ended before it began.

The 27-year-old Belfast Giants forward sustained a season-ending injury to the ACL in his right knee in the second period of a European Champions Hockey League game against HC Bolzano on Sept. 9, nearly two weeks before the EIHL regular season began.

"It's, like, hyperextended. I guess, tore a little bit of it," Barriga said. "It doesn't hurt, I'm doing my day to day, going to the gym, rehabbing already."

A Mexican American from West Covina, California, Barriga said he's working toward returning to the EIHL, where he made a splash with the Dundee Stars last season. 

He led Dundee in goals (25), was second in points (56) in 54 games and was tied for seventh in goal-scoring in the United Kingdom's top professional hockey league.

"I don't know what it was, but I kind of felt I had another step in me, and I just embraced the moment and kind of took it all in and enjoyed it," Barriga said. "The only difference, I'd say, is getting used to the big ice because that's what I'm used to. I've been playing on NHL-size ice my whole life, so that was a little weird."

Barriga crossed the Atlantic after playing four seasons at American International College, an NCAA Division I program in Springfield, Massachusetts.

He had 62 points (29 goals, 33 assists) in 107 games from 2018-22, including a collegiate career high 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 37 games in his senior season in 2021-22.

"I would say I'm a two-way forward, skilled with a high IQ, can make plays and can put the puck in the net," he said.

Barriga showed some of that skill when he scored a lacrosse-style "Michigan" goal in a 3-2 loss to the Rochester Institute of Technology on Nov. 11, 2021.

His move was reminiscent of the two lacrosse-style goals Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov scored, against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 29, 2019 and against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 17, 2019, with an added wrinkle: He scooped the puck onto his stick on the backhand and flipped it into the net.

"Everyone's always done it on the forehand and lacrosse goals it into the net," American International coach Eric Lang said. "By far the best goal I've ever seen."

Lang said Barriga was one of his best players and perhaps his most unusual recruit to the hockey team. Nicknamed "EZ" because of his calm demeanor, Barriga transferred from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where he was playing on their American Collegiate Hockey Association club team.

Lang and his assistants scouted Barriga by watching videos of UNLV games and marveled at his ability; he had 34 points (21 goals, 13 assists) in 27 games at UNLV.

"We were, like, 'Hey, we think you're a little better than the level you're playing at,'" Lang said. "It took a little bit of convincing, I'm sure he was having some fun at UNLV. And it took a little courage on our part because it was unprecedented, uncharted waters for any program, never mind a Division I program. But we were trying to find some scoring and we thought that he had some incredible upside."

Barriga fulfilled that potential and became a go-to scorer at the NCAA level once he improved his conditioning and nutritional habits, Lang said.

"It's human nature to have favorites and our favorites tend to be the hardest-working, best on- and off-the-ice kids," Lang said. "Elijiah Barriga checks all of those boxes. He was really calm under pressure, scored some big goals for us. That little bit of 'California cool' paid huge dividends because the bigger the spotlight, the calmer he was."

Barriga decided to play overseas after hearing about what was like from Belfast defenseman Jeff Baum, who was his roommate for three seasons at American International.

After one season with Dundee, Barriga signed with Belfast in May, lured by the idea of playing for coach Adam Keefe, the brother of Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe.

"We know about the success that he has, that his brother has," Barriga said. "I just wanted to play under him, kind of be taught by him, see what he sees in my game. I wanted pointers for me from him and to pick out stuff that maybe I don't see and build on my success."

And Adam Keefe was looking forward to having Barriga in Northern Ireland playing for the defending EIHL champions.

"Barriga plays a competitive, passionate, and fast game on the ice -- exactly what we are looking for here in our players in Belfast," Keefe said when Barriga signed.

Like many California kids, Barriga's hockey career began on wheels. He started playing roller hockey at age 5 and played on a team with his three brothers, coached by their father, Ruben Barriga.

"My mom and my dad went to a Los Angeles Kings game back in the day and just absolutely loved it," he said. "I think that's how we got into it. Ever since then, we were on roller skates in the backyard, just messing around. I don't think it was ever serious, we never thought it would take us this far until we hit ice. Maybe in my third year of ice I was, like, 'Oh, shoot, maybe I can actually do something here.'"

Barriga played for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks program from 2012-14, with Amarillo of the North American Hockey League from 2013-15, and Salmon Arm of the British Columbia Hockey League from 2015-17 before he enrolled at UNLV to earn academic credits to potentially play NCAA hockey.

He said the time playing far from home helped make the transition to living and playing in the United Kingdom easier.

"I've been away from home since I was, like, 17," he said. "I kind of didn't know anything until I really got here. But there's nothing but good people who took care of me and I adjusted pretty fine."

Barriga said he expects to have surgery soon to repair his knee and hopes to be back on the ice with Belfast next season.

"I feel like I've got some unfinished business here," he said.