In the run-up to the NHL Entry Draft in 1992, the Buffalo Sabres interviewed Matthew Barnaby. John Muckler, Buffalo's coach, asked him, "What happens at 8:05 on Saturday night in Detroit when Bob Probert asks you to fight?” When the teenager responded, “That’s easy. At 8:03, I’d have already asked Probert to fight,” they knew they had to draft him.
Through 14 NHL seasons after that exchange, Barnaby never stopped fighting.
In Unfiltered, the former right wing reflects on the adventures of a high-profile life and the determination that got him there, from getting drafted last in juniors to carving out a role for himself on each new NHL team, to discovering new joys and passions in retirement.
Barnaby also opens up about the memorable hijinks, the larger-than-life hockey characters, and the very real challenges and risks that come with the sport's physicality.
Both hilarious and heartrending, this is an unvarnished story of battles fought and lessons learned.
Matthew Barnaby played 14 NHL seasons at right wing for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Dallas Stars. He is a hockey analyst on The Power Play on SiriusXM channel 91 and also works in parnership with Bet99.
Kevin Shea is the best-selling author of 19 hockey books and serves as the editorial and education facilitator for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
