Inside the gym, the players taught the students the sport of hockey through multiple rotating stations, emphasizing skills like stickhandling, passing and shooting.
"It's a way for us to give back, play a little hockey with the kids and teach them a few things that we were taught when we were kids," Barton said. "It's a cool opportunity for us."
The Red Wings concluded the clinic with a five-on-five floor hockey scrimmage. The game was a light-hearted, high-scoring affair that featured prospects getting to know some of the students on the sidelines.
"This is our off day," Barton said. "It's pretty special we can come out, do stuff like this and get away from the rink but still be around the sport."
After the scrimmage, everyone gathered for a group picture before the students lined up to receive autographs from the aspiring professional hockey players.
According to Barton, the hockey clinic meant just as much to the prospects as it did to the students.
"It's fun for us and fun for them," Barton said. "I remember I went through the exact same thing in elementary school, so it's a way to give back."
