On Tuesday, hours before the Canadiens faced the Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round, NHL.com caught up with Barrette at his home in St. Leandre, Quebec, 375 miles northeast of Montreal.
With the Lightning’s 3-2 overtime win Tuesday, the series is tied 1-1 heading to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday (7 p.m. ET, CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX, The Spot).
Turning 80 in September, Barrette was delighted to discuss the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the iconic film in which he plays a major role, though he remains mildly disappointed that the Federal League never calculated Denis Lemieux’s goals-against average and save percentage.
How closely do you follow today’s NHL, generally, and the Montreal Canadiens, specifically?
“I watch a lot of hockey and so does my wife, Nicole. We’re both huge fans of the Canadiens. I’m so proud of our team now, Dobes has been amazing in goal. Montreal is doing great… I hope they go a long way in the playoffs.”
When was the last time you attended a Canadiens game?
“Three years ago (April 1, 2023), I was invited to go to their Bell Centre dressing room before a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. So I went in wearing my Chiefs jersey and announced the starting lineup to the players. They were so surprised to see me.”