Barton, 21, just concluded his junior season at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, where he tied for the team lead among defensemen and for fifth overall on the team with 11 points (2-9-11) and four penalty minutes in 20 games and helped the team advance to the Hockey East championship game. As a sophomore in 2019-20, Barton tied for seventh on the River Hawks with a collegiate career-high 15 points (3-12-15) and 20 penalty minutes in 30 games, also ranking 10th among all Hockey East blueliners in points. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound defenseman was a two-time Hockey East All-Academic Team selection and totaled 36 points (7-29-36) and 49 penalty minutes in 83 games at the school since 2018-19.
Originally drafted by Detroit in the third round (81st overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Barton was chosen with a draft pick acquired by the Red Wings from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek. Prior to his three years at Mass.-Lowell, Barton spent one season with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League, posting 33 points (6-27-33) and 32 penalty minutes in 49 games and adding 11 points (3-8-11) in 16 postseason games. A native of Kelowna, British Columbia, Barton also won a gold medal with Canada West at the 2017 World Junior A Challenge, contributing two assists in five games.
