Barry David Beck (born June 3, 1957) is a Canadian former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
player and currently the head coach of the
Hong Kong national team. Beck was selected second overall in both the
1977 NHL amateur draft and the
1977 WHA Amateur Draft from the
New Westminster Bruins
The New Westminster Bruins were a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. There were two franchises that carried this name:
* 1971–1981 (formerly the Estevan Bruins, now the Kamloops Blazers)
* 1983–1988 (formerly the Nan ...
. Beck helped the Bruins win the
1977 Memorial Cup
The 1977 Memorial Cup occurred May 8–14 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was the 59th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Parti ...
, and was awarded the
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
He opted to move to the NHL over the WHA, and began his career with the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
. He also played for the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
and
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
over the course of his career, and retired in 1990.
Junior career
Beck played one game with the
Kamloops Chiefs
The Kamloops Chiefs were a junior ice hockey team based in Kamloops, British Columbia that played in the Western Canada Hockey League from 1973–77. They were founded in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats, and relocated to Seattle, Washington to become t ...
in 1973-74 before being traded to the
New Westminster Bruins
The New Westminster Bruins were a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. There were two franchises that carried this name:
* 1971–1981 (formerly the Estevan Bruins, now the Kamloops Blazers)
* 1983–1988 (formerly the Nan ...
of the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
(WHL), in June 1974 for
Barry Melrose
Barry James Melrose (born July 15, 1956) is a Canadian–American broadcaster and former professional ice hockey player and head coach. Melrose played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and National Hockey League (NHL). After retiring from ...
and Gary Plamondon and
Dan Clark (ice hockey). He excelled for three seasons at New Westminster. In 1975-76 he turned in a dominant effort scoring 19 goals and 99 points while also racking up a team high 325 minutes in penalties. The following year his point totals dipped to 62 but helped the Bruins capture the
1977 Memorial Cup
The 1977 Memorial Cup occurred May 8–14 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was the 59th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Parti ...
, and Beck was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. After ending his junior career on a high note, Beck was selected second overall in the
1977 NHL amateur draft by the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
.
Colorado Rockies
Beck exploded onto the NHL scene with the Rockies, racking up 22 goals (a higher total than he had ever achieved in junior) which set an NHL rookie record for goals by a defenceman. More importantly, the Rockies secured their first-ever playoff berth. Beck capped off the successful season by being the runner up to
Mike Bossy for the
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...
as the league's top first year player.
Beck thoroughly enjoyed his time in the Mile High State. "There wasn't any pressure on me (in Colorado)," Beck recalled. "For one thing, there was hardly any media coverage, and there weren't very many fans. The first year was great. We'd just party and have a good time. We got to go to all the nice bars, I could buy a nice car, and we had a great apartment (he roomed with Randy Pierce). I think when you are 21 that is about as good as it can get. When we made the playoffs that year, it was even more exciting!"
During his second year in Colorado, Beck's point totals dipped and the team failed to make the playoffs. Beck approached the Rockies management about renegotiating his contract based on his successful rookie campaign.
Just ten games into his third season, the 21-year old was shocked to find out he had been traded to the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
in a blockbuster trade that shipped five players to Colorado. Beck told the story of his trade to the Rangers: "One time, in Colorado, (coach)
Don Cherry
Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. Cherry played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, and later coached the team for five se ...
's dog Blue came waddling into our locker room. He came in and, you know how those dogs do it, he rubbed his butt on the floor - right in front of my locker, in the area I used to do push-ups. So I gave Blue a little whack with my stick and he ran yelping down the hall back to Don's office. Then Don came in and asked who did it? We kind of looked around, said we didn't know. The next day I got traded to New York."
The Rangers acquired Beck on November 2, 1979, in exchange for
Pat Hickey,
Lucien DeBlois
Joseph Lucien Jean Gonzague DeBlois (born June 21, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right wing / centre.
Career
Born in Joliette, Quebec, DeBlois was selected in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers in the first r ...
,
Mike McEwen,
Dean Turner and future considerations.
New York Rangers
After toiling in relative anonymity in Colorado, Beck was excited to join one of the NHL's oldest franchises. "When I got to New York, I thought: 'This is what hockey is all about. Playing in a historic arena like Madison Square Garden in a city like New York City.' You have to be consistently good every night as a player, instead of every other night. The highlight memory was putting on a Rangers jersey and skating out on the Garden ice for the first time."
Beck scored a goal against the Los Angeles Kings in his first game at Madison Square Garden
and went on to have an impressive first season on Broadway putting up 59 points in 61 games. In 1980, his second year with the Rangers, Beck was named captain of the club but the 75 games he played that season would be the high water mark for his time with the Rangers. During the 1981–82 season, Beck separated his shoulder which would prove to be a recurring issue. He had more injury woes the following year and required surgery in 1984. The 1985–86 season saw him limited to just 25 games.
When he did play, Beck never approached the lofty offensive totals he managed in Colorado or in his first season with the Rangers, something that was not lost on broadcaster
Bill Chadwick
William Leroy "The Big Whistle" Chadwick (October 10, 1915 – October 24, 2009) was the first US-born referee to serve in the National Hockey League (NHL). Despite being blind in his right eye, his on-ice officiating career spanned the greater ...
who infamously urged him to shoot the puck more often.
The phrase, "Shoot the puck, Barry" is still known by many Rangers fans to this day.
Beck's injury-riddled 1985–86 season would end up being his last in New York. At the end of the season, nursing a bum shoulder and frustrated with Ranger coach
Ted Sator
Ted Sator (born November 18, 1949) is an American professional coach (ice hockey), ice hockey coach. He has twelve seasons of National Hockey League (NHL) coaching experience, serving as an assistant coach for various teams and head coach of the N ...
, Beck walked away from the club citing "philosophical differences" with Sator, who had also clashed with Rangers
Mark Pavelich
Mark Thomas Pavelich (February 28, 1958 – March 4, 2021) was an American professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward who played 355 regular season games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Minnesota North St ...
,
Reijo Ruotsalainen
Reijo Ruotsalainen (born April 1, 1960) is a Finnish former ice hockey defenceman. He was twice named Finland's top defenceman, and won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, in 1987 and 1990.
Playing career
Ruotsalainen started his career ...
,
Pierre Larouche
Pierre Roland Larouche (born November 16, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Hartford Whalers, and New York Rangers between 1974 and ...
and
Walt Poddubny
Walter Michael Poddubny (February 14, 1960 – March 21, 2009) was a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger and coach who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1981–82 NHL season, 1 ...
.
"There are philosophical differences between Coach Ted Sator and myself,' Beck said in a statement issued through his agent. 'This does not necessarily mean I'm retiring, but at present I don't want to play hockey in the upcoming season."
When Rangers General Manager
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito ( , ; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in t ...
fired Sator on November 21, 1986, he invited Beck to return to the club but he declined. "Phil's announcement today does nothing to change my decision to sit out this season. However, as I have said before, I continue to leave the door open for a possible return to the team."
The following season, after spending a year and a half away from the game letting his injured shoulder heal, Beck returned to the Rangers for the 1987-88 campaign. During training camp, in a pre-season game against the Winnipeg Jets, Beck took a hit in the corner and "felt it pop right away. I heard noise."
At the hospital, his fears were confirmed, as he had suffered damage to the tissue and ligaments around his shoulder. "The strength of my game is strength," Beck said while announcing his retirement from the game at age 30. "This latest injury would have taken that away from me. And that's the only way I know how to play."
Los Angeles Kings
In August 1989, after three years on the sidelines and with his shoulder fully recovered, the 32-year old Beck announced he wanted to return to the National Hockey League. However, his return would not happen in New York as Beck indicated he wanted to be closer to his home in Vancouver.
On September 1, 1989, the Los Angeles Kings sent a fourth round draft pick to the Rangers to secure his rights and he joined the
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
-led Kings for the 1989–90 season. Beck struggled with the Kings and eventually found himself being used sparingly. Kings General Manager
Rogie Vachon
Rogatien Rosaire "Rogie" Vachon (born September 8, 1945) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League.
Montreal ...
, who had acquired Beck and inked him to a one-year deal, felt he lacked the foot speed to play in the up tempo Smythe Division. "He has been frustrated going in and out of the lineup," Vachon said. "Because he may not have had the speed, he compensated by playing conservatively."
Beck took issue with this assessment saying "They told me I couldn't handle it. If that's what they're thinking, maybe they've got to go with it. I didn't think I was all that bad."
On March 7, with the season winding down, Beck once again announced his retirement.
Beck lives and coaches in Hong Kong and was the
Hong Kong men's national ice hockey team
The Hong Kong national ice hockey team is the national men's ice hockey team of Hong Kong and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Hong Kong is currently ranked 47th in the IIHF World Rankings and competes in Division III ...
head coach. He is currently the General Manager (Coach) with the Hong Kong Academy of Ice Hockey.
Legacy
In the 2009 book ''100 Ranger Greats'', the authors ranked Beck at No. 62 all-time of the
901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first
82 seasons.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards
* WCHL First All-Star Team – 1976 & 1977
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Barry
1957 births
Living people
Calgary Cowboys draft picks
Canadian expatriates in Hong Kong
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Colorado Rockies (NHL) draft picks
Colorado Rockies (NHL) players
Ice hockey people from Vancouver
Kamloops Chiefs players
Langley Lords players
Los Angeles Kings players
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
New Westminster Bruins players
New York Rangers players
Templeton Secondary School alumni