| Cam Barker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Barker with theChicago Blackhawks in 2009 | |||
| Born | (1986-04-04)April 4, 1986 (age 39) Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Chicago Blackhawks Minnesota Wild Edmonton Oilers Vancouver Canucks Barys Astana HC Slovan Bratislava SCL Tigers Ilves Tampere Dragons de Rouen | ||
| NHL draft | 3rd overall,2004 Chicago Blackhawks | ||
| Playing career | 2006–2021 | ||
Cameron Barker (born April 4, 1986) is aCanadian former professionalice hockeydefenceman. He was selected third overall in the2004 NHL Entry Draft by theChicago Blackhawks and spent four seasons with the club before being traded to theMinnesota Wild in2010. Internationally, Barker played for theCanadian national team and won back-to-back gold medals at the2005 and2006 World Junior Championships with thejunior team.
As a youth, Barker played in the 2000Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Winnipeg South Monarchsminor ice hockey team.[1] He later played AAA Midget Hockey for the Winnipeg Thrashers at age 14.[citation needed] After that season he was drafted 4th overall in the 2001 WHL Bantam Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers.[2]
The following season, Barker moved east to play for the Gloucester Rangers and eventually the Cornwall (ON) Colts Jr.A. club of the Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL) before signing with the Tigers at the end of the same 2001–02 season.[citation needed]
Barker began hisjunior hockey career in2001–02 with theMedicine Hat Tigers of theWestern Hockey League (WHL), appearing in three games. In thefollowing season, he led his team in scoring among defencemen with 47 points and was named to the WHL All-Rookie Team. He improved to a junior career-high 65 points in 60 games in2003–04, leading the Tigers to aPresident's Cup championship. As WHL champions, they earned a berth in the2004 Memorial Cup, however, Medicine Hat was defeated by theGatineau Olympiques in the semi-final.[3]
He was drafted third overall by theChicago Blackhawks in the2004 NHL Entry Draft and was signed to an entry-level contract by Chicago on August 22, 2005.[4] He made the Blackhawks opening roster out of training camp in2005–06 and made hisNHL debut against theColorado Avalanche, but was returned after one game to Medicine Hat,[5] where he completed the season with 18 points in 26 games.[2]
Barker began the2006–07 season injured, having undergone ankle surgery in September.[6] After recovering, he joined theNorfolk Admirals, Chicago'sAmerican Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, making his Norfolk debut on November 3, 2006. He recorded his first professional point on November 21 against theManchester Monarchs, assisting on thegame-winningovertime goal. A few games later, he scored his first professional goal on November 29 against theBridgeport Sound Tigers in a 6–3 loss. Later in the season, he was called up by the Blackhawks and scored his first NHL goal on January 14, 2007, against theMinnesota Wild.[7] He finished his rookie season playing in 35 games with Chicago and recording 8 points.
Despite finishing his rookie season with the Blackhawks, he was reassigned to the AHL to begin2007–08. Joining theRockford IceHogs in their inaugural AHL season (the team previously played in theUnited Hockey League), he assisted on the first-ever goal in IceHogs AHL history on October 6, 2007, against theQuad City Flames. Barker had been selected to play at the 2008AHL All-Star Classic,[8] but did not attend as he was once again recalled by the Blackhawks. In his second stint with the Blackhawks, he improved to six goals and 18 points in 45 games.[2]
Barker did not make the Blackhawks cut for the start of the2008–09 season and was assigned once again to Rockford. With the Blackhawks just under the salary cap, Barker's $2.8 million cap hit would have put them over the limit. However, general managerDale Tallon asserted that Barker's demotion was not based on salary cap considerations.[9] After 7 games with Rockford, he was called up by the Blackhawks and remained with the team. Barker finished the season with six goals, 34 assists, and aplus-minus of -6.[citation needed]
With Barker becoming arestricted free agent in the off-season, theNHL Players Association filed a grievance on July 6, 2009, against the Blackhawks on Barker's behalf for not extending a qualifying offer by the required deadline. As such, the NHLPA argued that Barker (as well as five other Blackhawks players in the same situation) qualified as anunrestricted free agent and could entertain offers from other teams around the league.[10] The Blackhawks quickly came to terms with Barker the same day, re-signing him to a three-year contract worthUS$9.25 million.[11]
Given salary cap constraints caused by having to overpay Barker and others, he was traded on February 12, 2010, to theMinnesota Wild for defencemanKim Johnsson and defensive prospectNick Leddy.[12] He was placed on waivers by Minnesota on June 28, 2011, to buy out his contract.[13]
Barker signed a one-year contract worth $2.25 million with theEdmonton Oilers on July 1, 2011.[14] On June 25, 2012, he was not tendered a contract and released as a free agent by the Oilers.[citation needed]
In September 2012, Barker was invited to the AHL'sTexas Stars training camp and later made it to the main roster. Barker marked his first return to the AHL since 2008 by debuting for the Stars to start the2012–13 season, on October 13 in a game againstSan Antonio Rampage. After 23 games with Texas, his professional try-out was not extended and he left the team.[15]
On January 13, 2013, Barker signed a one-year contract worth $700,000 with theVancouver Canucks.[16] Barker was not re-signed by the Canucks and became an unrestricted free agent on July 5, 2013.[citation needed]
On November 5, 2013, Barker signed a one-year deal withBarys Astana of theKontinental Hockey League (KHL).[17] After spending the 2013–14 season in the KHL, Barker returned to North America and attended training camp with the Blackhawks on a player tryout offer. However, on September 27, 2014, the Blackhawks announced that they had released Barker, leaving him as an unrestricted free agent.[18] On December 22, 2014, Barker signed a contract until the end of the2014–15KHL season withHC Slovan Bratislava,[19] and then had his contract renewed for the2015–16 season.[20] He left Bratislava after two years to return toBarys Astana in May 2016.[21]
After another shortened stint with Slovan Bratislava, Barker left the KHL and signed with theSCL Tigers of the SwissNational League (NL) on January 12, 2018, until the end of the2017-18 season.[22] In November 2018, he signed a contract until the end of season (including a try-out until the end of November) withIlves Tampere but after playing seven games, his contract was terminated on try-out.[23]
After spending his last two professional seasons inFrance with theDragons de Rouen of theLigue Magnus, Barker ended his 15-year playing career by retiring and accepting an assistant coaching role with a junior Canadian club, thePenticton Vees of theBritish Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), on June 23, 2021.[24]
 Barker withTeam Canada at the2006 World Junior Championships | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing Canada | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2006 Canada | |
| 2005 Canada | |
| Spengler Cup | ||
| 2012 Davos | |
Barker was a part ofTeam Canada's gold medal-winning team at the2005 World Junior Championships. However, he contractedmononucleosis midway through the tournament and was only able to appear in the first 3 games.[5] Barker made his second straightWorld Junior appearance in2006 as the only returning player on Team Canada's roster. He repeated as gold medal champion with Team Canada, which defeated Russia in the final.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2001–02 | Cornwall Colts | CJHL | 72 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 132 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 64 | 10 | 37 | 47 | 79 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 17 | ||
| 2003–04 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 69 | 21 | 44 | 65 | 105 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 2004–05 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 52 | 15 | 33 | 48 | 99 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 16 | ||
| 2005–06 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 26 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 63 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 59 | ||
| 2006–07 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 34 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 53 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 35 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 29 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 45 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 68 | 6 | 34 | 40 | 65 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 51 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 19 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 52 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Texas Stars | AHL | 23 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Barys Astana | KHL | 26 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 26 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2014–15 | Slovan Bratislava | KHL | 18 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Slovan Bratislava | KHL | 55 | 9 | 31 | 40 | 75 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | Barys Astana | KHL | 55 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 46 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 2017–18 | Slovan Bratislava | KHL | 37 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | SCL Tigers | NL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Ilves | Liiga | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Dragons de Rouen | FRA | 12 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Dragons de Rouen | FRA | 22 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 310 | 21 | 75 | 96 | 290 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | ||||
| KHL totals | 191 | 19 | 68 | 87 | 184 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 22 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Canada | U18 | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Canada | WJC |  | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2006 | Canada | WJC | | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 18 | |
| Junior totals | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 26 | ||||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| WHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2003 | |
| CHL All-Rookie Team | 2003 | |
| Ed Chynoweth Cup (Medicine Hat Tigers) | 2004 | |
| AHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2008 | |
| KHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2016 | |
| Most Points by Defenseman (40) | 2016 | |
| Ligue Magnus | ||
| Champions (Dragons de Rouen) | 2021 | |
Barker, recalled earlier in the day from Norfolk of the AHL, scored on a 5-on-3 power play for his first NHL goal.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by | Chicago Blackhawks first round draft pick 2004 | Succeeded by |