Matthew Barnaby played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League before retiring in 2007. Barnaby was hired by ESPN in 2008 as a NHL studio analyst and has been featured on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS and ESPN.com.
The former right winger played most of his career with the Buffalo Sabres (1992-1999) before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1999. Barnaby played two seasons with the Pens (1999-2001) and also spent time with the Tampa Bay Lightning (2000-2002), New York Rangers (2001-2004), Colorado Avalanche (2003-2004) and the Chicago Blackhawks (2005-2006) before wrapping up his career with the Dallas Stars (2006-07).
Statistically, Barnaby totaled 300 regular-season points but is probably better known for his 2,562 penalty minutes. He was a hockey “character” and fan favorite who enjoyed fighting and didn’t mind spending time in the penalty box if it meant he was helping his team.
“A character is a player who hopefully gives 110 percent every night,” Barnaby said. “It is kind of the way that got me there and what made me stay around for 14 years. I was very fortunate to learn at an early age to work hard and give it all you’ve got. There are a lot of superstars that give their thing, but a good team needs character players.”
Off the ice, Barnaby’s broadcasting career started during the 2007-2008 season as he co-hosted “The Enforcers” – a local show on Time Warner Cable in Buffalo, N.Y. – with former Sabres teammate Rob Ray. He also spent time with The Score Television Network in Toronto and served as an analyst and commentator for NHL on TSN before joining ESPN.
Barnaby is a native of Ottawa, Ontario, and he currently resides in Buffalo with his wife Christine and their son Matthew, Jr. and daughter Taylor.
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