#106 - Bill Barber

Bill Barber (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #106)

Adjusted Stats

1972-1973   Phi        73 GP   30 goals   34 assists   63 points     0.87 PPG
1973-1974   Phi*      79 GP   34 goals   35 assists   70 points     0.89 PPG
1974-1975   Phi*      81 GP   31 goals   34 assists   65 points     0.81 PPG
1975-1976   Phi        82 GP   46 goals   57 assists   104 points   1.26 PPG
1976-1977   Phi        75 GP   19 goals   33 assists   52 points     0.70 PPG
1977-1978   Phi        82 GP   39 goals   30 assists   69 points     0.84 PPG
1978-1979   Phi        81 GP   31 goals   41 assists   72 points     0.89 PPG
1979-1980   Phi        81 GP   36 goals   29 assists   65 points     0.80 PPG
1980-1981   Phi        82 GP   35 goals   34 assists   70 points     0.85 PPG
1981-1982   Phi        82 GP   35 goals   35 assists   70 points     0.85 PPG
1982-1983   Phi        68 GP   22 goals   27 assists   49 points     0.72 PPG
1983-1984   Phi        65 GP   18 goals   26 assists   43 points     0.67 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1972-1973    Phi        11 GP   3 goals     2 assists     4 points      0.40 PPG
1973-1974    Phi*      17 GP   3 goals     6 assists     9 points      0.52 PPG
1974-1975    Phi*      17 GP   5 goals     8 assists     14 points    0.81 PPG
1975-1976    Phi        16 GP   6 goals     7 assists     13 points    0.79 PPG
1976-1977    Phi        10 GP   1 goal       4 assists     4 points     0.44 PPG
1977-1978    Phi        12 GP   6 goals     3 assists      9 points     0.73 PPG
1978-1979    Phi        8 GP     3 goals     4 assists      6 points     0.80 PPG
1979-1980    Phi        19 GP   10 goals   8 assists     18 points    0.94 PPG
1980-1981    Phi        12 GP   8 goals     4 assists     11 points    0.94 PPG
1981-1982    Phi        4 GP     1 goal       4 assists     5 points     1.17 PPG
1982-1983    Phi        3 GP     1 goal       1 assist      2 points      0.52 PPG

Career - 931 GP, 376 goals, 415 assists, 792 points, 0.85 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (75-76); 57 assists (75-76); 104 points (75-76); 1.26 PPG (75-76)
Avg. (12 seasons) - 78 GP, 31 goals, 35 assists, 66 points, 0.85 PPG
Peak Avg. (73-81) - 80 GP, 34 goals, 37 assists, 71 points, 0.88 PPG, 2 Cups

Playoff Career - 129 GP, 47 goals, 51 assists, 95 points, 0.74 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (79-80); 8 assists (74-75); 18 points (79-80); 1.17 PPG (81-82)

Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion

Bill Barber's offensive totals will soon be dwarfed by the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley at LW, if they haven't been already, but ask yourself this: whose career would you rather have? In the case of Kovalchuk and Heatley, you're admired for scoring a boatload of goals, but you're also associated with losing and failure. In Barber's case, he's one of the key players associated with the Broad Street Bullies of the 1970s. Along with his linemate Bobby Clarke, he gets points in my book for being a player with an identity.

What was that identity? Gritty, tough, willing to take a hit and also to dish one out. Unlike many of his teammates, Barber wasn't spending a ton of time in the penalty box (he averaged about 55 PIM for his career and only topped 100 PIM once). But as with most of the Flyers of the 1970s, you knew that playing him was going to be a pain in the ass. He was a perfect complement for Clarke: both were superb defensively, tough as nails, and offensively gifted.

Barber only had one "wow" season, in 1975-1976, the year after the Flyers had won back-to-back championships. But in almost every other year in the 1970s, you could count on him for 30 goals, 70 points, a great +/- (he was +29 per 82 GP for his career), and the intangible presence of agitating his opponent with jabs, slashes and trips. I don't condone what the Flyers did to hockey in the 1970s, but you have to give credit to the team for at least having an identifiable trait.

Barber retired fairly young after only twelve seasons in the NHL. Had he stuck around a little longer he may have gotten to 500 career goals and been a little more revered in today's hockey circles. He went on to a brief but successful stint as a coach, winning the Jack Adams trophy once (although being dismissed soon after as so many Flyers' coaches are). Even if his career was only twelve years long, they were twelve remarkably consistent and durable seasons, and given his three appearances on all-star teams, he was clearly revered as one of the league's best left-wingers. Would you rather be a Kovalchuk shooting up the all-time list in goals scored but languishing on non-playoff teams, or a Barber who comes in and consistently produces for a two-time Stanley Cup champion? I'll take the second career, thanks.