Barrasso, "Tom" (Thomas P.)
Hockey
b. March 31, 1965, Boston, MA
Barrasso joined the NHL's Buffalo Sabres as a first-round draft choice in 1983, right out of high school. He won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender with a 2.84 goals-against average and was also the Calder Trophy winner as the league's rookie of the year. He was the third player in history to win both awards in the same year.
Although he was sent to the minors for five games after a slow start in the 1984-85 season, Barrasso led the league with a 2.66 average and 5 shutouts. He and Bob Sauve shared the Jennings Trophy for the NHL's best goals-against average.
After three mediocre seasons, Barrasso was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins early in the 1988-89 season. The Penguins had a high-scoring offense but a shaky defense and Barrasso was a good fit in Pittsburgh. Although his regular-season performances didn't improve much, he was outstanding in the playoffs, helping the Penguins winning two straight Stanley Cup championships, in 1991 and 1992. He tied the NHL record for playoff wins with 16 in 1991.
A whole series of injuries, including a chronic shoulder problem, limited both his playing time and his effectiveness beginning with the 1993-94 season. He appeared in only 2 games in 1994-95 and only 5 games in 1996-97. However, Barrasso came back strong the following season. Finally healthy for an extended period of time, he posted 7 shutouts and his 2.07 goals-against average was the best of his career.
He had another fine season in 1998-99, but injuries were beginning to bother him again. He played in just 43 games that season and the Penguins traded him to the Ottawa Senators in March of 2000. Barrasso sat out the entire 2000-01 season, played for the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs in 2001-02, and was with the St. Louis Blues briefly the following season. He announced his retirement after the Blues released him.
Barrasso has more NHL wins (369) than any other U.S.-born goaltender and he holds the league record for most points by a goaltender with 48.
