North Bay Sports Hall of Fame Chair Bill Jacko has released the name of the first of five individuals to be inducted into the Hall in 2016 and at the same time revealed a change in policy that makes district candidates eligible for consideration.
“Since the inception of the Hall of Fame in 1977, all nominees have had to have been born or lived in the city of North Bay and that is still our standard rule - however, as the result of a letter we received asking us to consider qualified individuals from the district around North Bay - we have added a clause to our constitution that allows the Board to do just that,” stated Hall of Fame Chair Bill Jacko about the Callander native.
“The logical first inductee from the district is Hockey Hall of Famer Bill Barber of Callander who scored 420 regular season goals for the NHL Philadelphia Flyers and added 53 more playoff markers to help the club to back to back Stanley Cups in 1974 and ’75. He played a dozen full seasons with the Flyers, scoring at least 20 goals each year, before a ruined knee forced his retirement in 1984. He began coaching and in 2001 was named winner of the Jack Adams Award as the NHL coach of the year."
Barber will be inducted during the NBSHF’s 36th Induction and Awards Dinner on May 7th at the Best Western.
Bill Barber had just turned 15 when he began playing with the NOHA Junior “A” North Bay Trappers in 1967. He scored 50 goals and carded 123 points in two seasons with the locals before joining the OHA Junior “A” Kitchener Rangers where in three seasons he tallied 127 times and listed 298 points. Drafted 7th in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers he spent only 11 games in the minors before being called up to the NHL where he played 1023 regular season and playoff games before retiring. He was named 1st Team All Star left winger in 1976 the year he scored 50 goals and added 62 assists for 112 points - his most productive season. In 1979 and ’81 he was voted to the 2nd All Star team and in 1974 and ’75 he helped the Flyers to consecutive Stanley Cups. He scored 40 goals or more five times on his way to 420 regular season goals, 463 assists and 883 career points (along with 623 penalty minutes!). His playoff performances in 11 seasons were no less impressive with 53 goals, 55 assists and 108 points in 129 games. Internationally he played with Team Canada in 1976 and 1982 and in the ’82 World Cup scored 8 goals in 10 games. He also played with the NHL All Stars in 1979.
In 1990 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Flyers retired his number (7) the same year. After his playing career was over he turned to coaching in the American League where he won a Calder Cup with Philadelphia Phantoms in 1998. He was an assistant coach with the Flyers in the late 1980’s before becoming head coach in 2000 and winning NHL Coach of the Year honours in 2001. He stopped coaching in 2002 and spent the next six seasons as Director of Player Personnel for the Tampa Bay Lightning - getting his name on the Stanley Cup for a 3rd time when the Lightning won in 2004. Barber returned to the Flyers as a scouting assistant in 2008. He has always spent his summers in his hometown and Callander opened the Bill Barber Sports Complex in his honour in 2010.
Barber also had his North Bay Jr. Trappers #9 jersey retired by the North Bay Jr. Trappers organization back in 2010.
Barber will be inducted at 36th annual North Bay Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Awards dinner on Saturday, May 7th at the Best Western.
Tickets are available from any Executive Committee member or by calling Chair Bill Jacko at 705-476-1429, Dave Saad at 705-472-7041, Michelle Cundari 705-471-9771 or Karen Cook at 705-497-3957.
