Tyson Barrie’s NHL career has officially come to an end.
Coming off his participation in the Avalanche’s Alumni Game, the 34-year-old defenseman announced his retirement from the NHL early Monday morning, ending a 14-year career.
Barrie spent eight years with the Avs after getting drafted by the team in the third round in 2009. The first two seasons he appeared in, both in 2011-12, and in 2013, were spent mostly in the American Hockey League, mixed with a taste of the big club. But in 2013-14, he began a stretch of six seasons as a key piece of Colorado’s blueline. He also saw time in the AHL that season but ended up playing 64 games with Colorado, scoring 13 goals and 38 total points. Barrie was part of the young core that helped the Avalanche qualify for the playoffs.
That was the start of what ended up being the team’s best puck-moving defenseman for a half decade.
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Barrie was part of Colorado’s transitional years from a team building its core to the one that eventually got over the hump after his departure. He built great chemistry with Nathan MacKinnon and other young pieces and played well over 21 minutes per game following the 2014 season.
In 2018-19, Barrie tied his career high with 14 goals and had his best season in both assists (45) and points (59). But the arrival of Cale Makar during the playoffs, along with the continued development of Samuel Girard, made him expendable that offseason. The Avs opted to trade him.
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They packaged him and Alexander Kerfoot and sent them both to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a six-piece trade that brought Nazem Kadri to Colorado.
Barrie spent just one season with the Leafs before signing with the Edmonton Oilers. In 2022, he was part of the Oilers’ roster that made it to the Western Conference Final and got swept by the Avs. He was later part of a deal that brought Mattias Ekholm to Edmonton.
His career ended with a one-year stint with the Calgary Flames, where he played just 13 games and had three points.
In total, Barrie 110 goals and 508 points in 822 games — most of which came with the Avalanche.
