Barry Tabobondung (April 3, 1961 – July 11, 2000) was an

Ojibwa The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

Canadian 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 ...

defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...

and

left winger A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

. He was drafted in the third round, 47th overall by the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...

in the

1981 NHL Entry Draft Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Fr ...

. In his professional career he played in the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

(AHL), the International Hockey League (IHL), the

Atlantic Coast Hockey League The Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) was a minor league hockey organization that operated between 1981 and 1987. The league was founded by Bill Coffey. The Bob Payne Trophy was awarded to the team who won the league playoff championship. Acco ...

(ACHL), and its successor, the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The E ...

Early life and amateur career

Tabobondung was born in

Parry Sound, Ontario Parry Sound is a town in Ontario, Canada, located on the eastern shore of the sound after which it is named. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is a single tier government located in the territorial District ...

, and grew up on the

Wasauksing First Nation Wasauksing First Nation (formerly named as Parry Island First Nation, oj, Waaseyakosing, ''meaning: "Place that shines brightly in the reflection of the sacred light"'') is an Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi First Nation band government whose res ...

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

near Parry Sound. His grandmother was a

tribal chief A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribe The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia. Tribal societies are sometimes categorized as ...

and member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. His father also played amateur hockey. As a child he earned the nickname "Hawk" from his grandfather. Tabobondung played for the

Newmarket Flyers The Newmarket Hurricanes were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Newmarket, Ontario. They played in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The franchise existed from 1972 until 2019, based in Newmarket starting in 1975. History In 1972, the Seneca Fly ...

of the

Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best d ...

before playing for the

Oshawa Generals The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor (commercial), sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. ...

of the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overag ...

. Tabobondung was eligible for the 1980 Draft but was not selected, and played another junior season, changing his position to left wing. During his second season with Oshawa he recorded 77 points and 320 penalty minutes in 61 games. Tabobondung attended the

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, in only the second year that junior players other than first round prospects attended the draft. He was selected with the 47th pick in the third round by the

. Tabobondung, who was sitting in the high sections of the

Montreal Forum Montreal Forum (french: Le Forum de Montréal) is a historic building located facing Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the h ...

, was so excited to meet the Flyers representatives at the draft that he began climbing over the seats rather than using the steps. At one point his leg became caught in a seat, where he was stuck for two hours until arena maintenance was able to remove the entire row of seats to free him. NHL executive vice-president Brian O'Neill joked that the Flyers could be sure Tabobondung would be available for all of their games in Montreal.

Professional career

Tabobondung began his professional career following the draft in 1981 with the Flyers'

affiliate, the

Maine Mariners Maine Mariners may refer to: * Maine Mariners (AHL), an ice hockey team in Portland, Maine, which operated from 1977 to 1992 * Maine Mariners (ECHL) The Maine Mariners are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL that began play in the 2018 ...

, playing in 132 games in two seasons. He also appeared with the

Peoria Prancers The Peoria Rivermen were an ice hockey team that played in the International Hockey League. They played in Peoria, Illinois at the Carver Arena. A new team with the Peoria Rivermen name currently competes in the Southern Professional Hockey Le ...

in 1981–82 in 16 games. Beginning in 1983, Tabobondung played three seasons with the

Erie Golden Blades The Erie Golden Blades were a minor league hockey team in Erie, Pennsylvania, which played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. The team's inaugural season was the Erie County Field House, which closed in 1983. The team relocated to Louis J. Tul ...

of the

. In his first season, he was named to the Second All-Star Team, and the Golden Blades won the league championship. During the 1984–85 season, Tabobondung was selected to the First All-Star Team, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player after recording 12 goals and 67 assists, as well as 2 goals and 8 assists in the playoffs. Tabobondung's career with the Golden Blades came to a sudden end on February 26, 1987, when he was fined and suspended for showing up late for practice and then refusing to play. The following day the Golden Blades announced that he was released from the team. Tabobondung returned to Erie in 1990 to finish his career with the

Erie Panthers The Erie Panthers were a professional ice hockey team, and one of the founding members in the ECHL, East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1988 to 1996, they were one of the most prolific teams in the ECHL. The Panther ...

of the

. He retired after the

1990–91 ECHL season The 1990–91 ECHL season was the third season of the ECHL. In 1990, the league welcomed three new franchises: Cincinnati Cyclones, Louisville Icehawks, and Richmond Renegades. The Virginia Lancers franchise was renamed the Roanoke Valley Rebels. ...

, returning to his native reserve near Parry Sound.

Life after retirement

Upon returning to his hometown, Tabobondung contributed as a coach for the junior

Parry Sound Shamrocks The Parry Sound Shamrocks were a Junior ice hockey team from Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada that played in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. History The Shamrocks were originally formed in 1994 as a member of the Northern Ontario Jun ...

and

Couchiching Terriers The Couchiching Terriers were a Junior A ice hockey team from Rama, Ontario, Canada from Lake Couchiching. The team originated in neighbouring Orillia, Ontario, and played in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. The Terriers were 1985 Centennial ...

. He was killed in a vehicular accident on July 11, 2000. Tabobondung's son Tommy fell from a

road grader A grader, also commonly referred to as a road grader, motor grader, or simply a blade, is a form of heavy equipment with a long blade used to create a flat surface during grading. Although the earliest models were towed behind horses, and la ...

that they were riding in, and Tabobondung was caught under the machinery in the process of saving his son's life.

Career statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tabobondung, Barry 1961 births 2000 deaths Canadian ice hockey defencemen Erie Golden Blades players Erie Panthers players First Nations sportspeople Ice hockey people from Ontario Maine Mariners (AHL) players Ojibwe people Oshawa Generals players People from Parry Sound District Philadelphia Flyers draft picks