The Carolina Hurricanes are basking in the glory of their Stanley Cup victory, and so are the people who helped them get there.

A team physician for the Carolina Hurricanes said it has been a blessing to be a part of a storybook season while working with players to keep them healthy throughout the year.

“It’s been amazing,” Dr. Joseph Barker said.

He has been one of the team physicians for the last 16 years. Barker’s colleague, Dr. Marty Isbell, is the other team physician. They work together at the Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic, where they treat patients.

“It was so joyous to watch the athletes accomplish their goal and to have just a small little part in helping them do that is such a great, great feeling for me,” Barker said.

Barker said it’s up to him and Isbell to make critical decisions during games and over the course of their schedule.

“I am always going to put the athlete first. That trust that you develop with them, where they always know that you are always putting them as the main priority, is built over the course of years of interacting with them,” Barker said.

Several players experienced injuries throughout the year.

Jaccob Slavin overcame injuries to return to the ice after missing 39 games. Alexander Nikishin was diagnosed with a concussion during the playoffs and fought to return to the lineup after a big hit from Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven.

Barker said he takes great pride in seeing a player return to the ice after recovering from an injury.

“It’s one of the most satisfying experiences you can have as a doctor. To see them get back to doing, you know, what their passion is,” Barker said.

He said the well-being of the athletes is always his top priority. The physicians go over the risks and rewards of playing through some injuries, including for stars like Seth Jarvis. Jarvis chose to put off shoulder surgery until after the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“One of those things where we will certainly try and just provide them with the best guidance as possible to let them know the risks and benefits of continuing to play with an injury,” Barker said. “It really needs to be kind of a group discussion, group decision with ultimately the athlete always having the final say. So we try and get everyone involved so that everyone fully understands the ramifications of any sort of decision that’s being made.”

Eighty-two games of floor checks, followed by four rounds in the playoffs, wear on the best of teams. Barker is on the road with the team for about two months during the playoffs.

“Certainly it is a very intense sport to cover,” Barker said.

There are fights, flying pucks, missing teeth, lacerations and painful collisions throughout the year.

It’s the moments you don’t see that made this season that much sweeter.

“There was some time after the Olympic holiday, where I think all of us in the locker room, including the players, felt like this season was different. I told my family and my friends that. I was like, ‘this feels different.’ There was just a belief that we were going to win this year,” Barker said.

Not only is the thrill of a championship season fresh on his mind, Barker talked at length about the maturation and growth of players who have been with the Hurricanes for multiple seasons but joined the team at a younger age.

“I’ve watched a lot of these guys grow,” Barker said. “A lot of these players like (Sebastian) Aho and (Andrei) Svechnikov, I initially met when they were 18 years old. Some of them have gotten married, have kids. And so to watch them finally be able to live out their childhood dream and raise the Stanley Cup, it was just an amazing experience for me personally,” Barker said.

Barker said he was standing behind the bench rinkside in the final seconds of the third period.

“When we scored that third goal, we kind of knew what was going to happen, and it was a lot of hugs and high fives, and just really kind of a really surreal experience,” Barker said. “Seeing their emotions just, you know, really kind of almost brought you to tears. It was just truly, truly a special memory I’ll remember the rest of my life.”

Barker is also a team physician for the N.C. State men’s basketball team. Both Isbell and Barker plan to return next season as team physicians.