Barlow takes next step

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This article was published 10/04/2024 (568 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Colby Barlow was known as “Captain” the last two years with his junior team.

He was “Rookie” on Wednesday.

The Winnipeg Jets forward prospect got his first taste of pro action as he skated with his new Manitoba Moose teammates for the first time since being reassigned from the Owen Sound Attack last week.

The puck moved faster, the bumps into the boards were a little heavier and the practice was a little tougher than what the 19-year-old was used to, he said.

Owen Sound was swept in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs by the Saginaw Spirit last Wednesday. Barlow, listed at 6-1, 195 pounds, received a call from the Jets organization on Thursday and spent a couple of days with his family before flying to Winnipeg on Sunday to join the American Hockey League team.

“It’s bittersweet, ending with the team I’ve been with all year. I’ve got a lot of good friends on there, a lot of lifetime friends,” said Barlow, a left-shooting winger. “Obviously, you want to go as long as you can with the team you’re with but that ended and a new opportunity came, which is exciting.

“The last few days have been crazy: travel, get here and get to work. But I’m really stoked to be here.”

Barlow, who hails from Orillia, Ont., endured the most uneven campaign of his hockey career this season. His coach, Greg Walters, was fired seven games into the season, despite the team having a 4-2-1 record. Winnipeg’s first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2023 Draft suffered a back injury Nov. 8 that sidelined him until Dec. 30 and removed him from consideration for Canada’s world junior hockey team.

The captain stood tall amid the chaos, leading the Attack to the playoffs while racking up 40 goals and 18 assists in 50 regular-season games, while adding one goal and two assists in four playoff games.

“It had its ups and downs,” Barlow said. “I got injured there for a bit but it was good, I got healthier and learned a lot through this year, battled through some adversity but I’m excited to be here and start this new chapter for however long it is.”

Last September, Barlow signed a three-year, entry-level contract that has yet to kick in. However, under the NHL-CHL player transfer agreement, he is ineligible to join the Moose out of training camp next season and will need to return to Owen Sound for his fourth year of junior hockey.

That is, unless he cracks the NHL roster.

Barlow’s time in the AHL this year still holds value. He joins the Moose at the most critical point in the team’s calendar, with six games remaining on the fading regular-season schedule and a playoff berth in sight.

Manitoba (31-33-2-1) can clinch a playoff spot this weekend as they host afternoon contests against the Iowa Wild (24-36-4-3) Saturday and Sunday, their final two home games before finishing the regular season with three road games next week.

Head coach Mark Morrison said the club will ease Barlow into the lineup, but that the experience he gets will be crucial.

“It’s valuable. We have to be careful about which situation we put them in and make sure that when we do put him in, he’s set up for success and not failure. This is a critical time of the year and he’s happy to be here right now and he’s learning a lot and he’s learning systems,” Morrison said.

“He’s going to learn a lot and he’s a smart kid so he’ll pick things up quick.”

The Jets selected Barlow knowing he possessed great leadership qualities and a howitzer for a shot.

Ahead of the 2022-23 season, Barlow became the youngest player to be named captain of the Attack. He’s also scored 116 goals over three years in Owen Sound.

That’s exactly how he hopes to find his footing at the pro level.

“I think it’s just keeping it simple. Don’t try to do too much, know my strengths and stick to what makes me, me. I think just making sure I can contribute offensively, not be a liability in the defensive zone is a huge thing, personally, and I’m sure for the coaches, as well,” Barlow said.

“Obviously, I want to do my best here, show the kind of player I am, but it is also a lot of learning. It’s going to be my first showing with pro and playing it, so it’s (about) getting the right footing right away and getting to that speed and how the game is played and how everything comes quicker — I think that’s going to be an adjustment that’s gonna be made and hopefully I make it fast and do what I do best.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

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