Barber, 28, has appeared in 46 games with the Griffins this season and ranks among the team leaders with 22 goals (1st), 24 assists (T3rd), 46 points (3rd), 13 power play goals (1st), five game-winning goals (2nd) and 171 shots (1st). Barber joined the organization when he signed a two-year contract prior to the 2020-21 campaign and made his Red Wings debut on Dec. 18 vs. New Jersey. The 6-foot, 199-pound forward has suited up in three games for Detroit this season, recording four shots in 8:15 time on ice, and has also seen NHL action with the Washington Capitals (2016-17) and Montreal Canadiens (2019-20). Last season, he was named to the Central Division All-Star Team after leading Grand Rapids with 20 goals and 34 points in 32 games. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native is a veteran of 361 AHL games, posting 297 points (148-149-297) and 250 penalty minutes over seven seasons with the Hershey Bears, Laval Rocket, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Griffins. The 6-foot, 190-pound winger also has 15 points (5-10-15) in 38 career AHL postseason games.
Originally drafted by the Capitals in the sixth round (167th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Barber signed with Washington after spending three seasons at Miami University, where he scored at over a point-per-game pace with 123 points (54-69-123), a plus-24 rating and 62 penalty minutes in 116 games. Barber earned several collegiate honors, including CCHA Rookie of the Year and First All-Star Team in 2012-13 and NCHC Second All-Star Team in 2013-14, and helped the RedHawks to a conference championship in 2014-15. He also won a 2011 Clark Cup championship in the United States Hockey League with the Dubuque Fighting Saints and spent the 2011-12 season with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Barber also captained the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship after winning gold at the event in 2013, combining for 12 points (7-5-12) in 12 games between the two tournaments.
Hirose, 25, has suited up in 59 games for the Griffins this season and ranks among the team leaders with 15 goals (T5th), 38 assists (T1st) and 53 points (T2nd). Hirose has also logged 12 games with the Red Wings this season, tallying four points (1-3-4), four penalty minutes and averaging 10:26 time on ice. The left winger has split his professional career between the Red Wings and Griffins, appearing in 54 NHL games since debuting in 2018-19 - totaling 20 points (4-16-20) and 12 penalty minutes - while adding 108 points (25-83-108) and 28 penalty minutes in 123 games with Grand Rapids over the last three seasons. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent after spending three years at Michigan State University and posted seven points (1-6-7) in 10 games during his first NHL stint in 2018-19.
A native of Calgary, Alberta, Hirose appeared in 106 games at Michigan State from 2016-19, totaling 116 points (33-83-116) and 39 penalty minutes. As a junior in 2018-19, Hirose led the nation in points (50), points-per-game (1.47), assists (35), multi-point games (15) and three-point games (9) en route to being named the Big Ten Player of the Year. Prior to his collegiate career, Hirose played two seasons (2014-16) with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League where he totaled 121 points (33-88-121) in 116 games. During the 2015-16 campaign with the Silverbacks, he ranked 13th in the BCHL in points (71) and fourth in assists (56), both of which led the team. Hirose also led the Silverbacks in scoring (18-32-50) in his first season with the club (2014-15), while being named the team's Rookie of the Year.
