Jason LaBarbera

Lore & Background

LaBarbera played major junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) primarily with the Portland Winter Hawks, with brief stints for the Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs. He was drafted by the New York Rangers in the third round, 66th overall, of the 1998 NHL entry draft. His first NHL action came on October 14, 2000, in relief of his childhood hero Kirk McLean, recording two saves in ten minutes of an 8–6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He spent his first four seasons in the Rangers organization mostly in the minor leagues with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL and the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

During the 2003–04 season, LaBarbera had a spectacular season with the Wolf Pack, winning the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP and the Aldege 'Baz' Bastien Memorial Award as top goaltender. He was called up to the Rangers and played four games, recording his first NHL victory on March 5, 2004, a 3–2 win over the Washington Capitals. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he continued with the Wolf Pack and earned the Harry 'Hap' Holmes Memorial Award for allowing the fewest goals in the league. Despite his success, the Rangers did not re-sign him, presumably due to depth in goal with prospects Henrik Lundqvist and Al Montoya in the pipeline.

LaBarbera signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings and had his first full NHL season backing up Mathieu Garon. He earned his first NHL shutout on April 17, 2006, blanking the San Jose Sharks 4–0. He later played for the Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks (though he never appeared in a game for them), and Anaheim Ducks. He retired from professional hockey on July 19, 2016, after 16 seasons.

Reader's Guide

Jason LaBarbera's significance lies in his long professional career as a goaltender who achieved notable success in the American Hockey League (AHL) while also playing parts of 11 NHL seasons. He is one of the few players to win the AHL's Les Cunningham Award as league MVP and the Aldege 'Baz' Bastien Memorial Award as top goaltender twice (2004 and 2007). He also won the Harry 'Hap' Holmes Memorial Award twice (2005 and 2007) for allowing the fewest team goals in the AHL. His 13 shutouts in the 2003–04 AHL season remain a league record.

Despite his AHL dominance, he never became a full-time NHL starter, serving primarily as a backup for multiple teams. His career path illustrates the challenges faced by goaltenders in a league with limited starting positions. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching, becoming goaltending coach for the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL and later the Calgary Flames of the NHL. His personal life gained some public attention through his wife Kodette's appearance on the TV show Hockey Wives, where she discussed their son Ryder's autism treatment.