Barrière eager to make an impact in nets for Crushers

After being left in limbo with the sudden departure of Kyle Scott in late September, the Weeks Crushers have a new goaltender.

Nicolas Barrière is a 6 2 native of St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, who played in the Quebec Major Junior League with the Quebec Remparts, under coach Patrick Roy, and the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The 18-year-old was ranked as a top-three NHL draft potential by the Central Scouting Bureau in November 2006.

Barrière was cut from the Voltigeurs at the end of August, and hasn't played since. The News spoke to Barrière while he was driving en-route to Nova Scotia on Friday. He's scheduled to make his debut with the Crushers today in Moncton in a game against Summerside.

Barrière said he's looking forward to making an impact on his new team and competing for a starting spot.

"I've heard great comments about the organization," said Barrière, who speaks with a slight accent. "I just want to go there and play my best. I haven't been on the ice for a long time now, but I'm looking for great ice time and getting my game shape back. I'm looking to help the team get as far as possible in the playoffs."

Barrière's time in the Quebec Major league was a mixed bag filled with both highs and lows. He got the chance to be coached by one of the NHL's most famed goaltenders, and he says it was often a humbling experience.

"When you have a Hall of Famer behind the bench that's impressive," he said.

But his relationship with the Remparts quickly turned sour. Roy brought in his son, Jonathan, to play goaltender. Not long afterwards, Barrière says Roy paid more attention to his son and the other players than he did to him.

"He didn't focus on his (other) goalies that much. He was taking care of the forwards and the defence," Barrière said. "He left the goalie part to another person, that's not very good from my point of view."

Barrière was eventually traded to the Voltigeurs.

"But they said I didn't have the game experience to play at the Major Junior level," he said. "They cut me and I was struggling to look for another team. They cut me, and [Crushers' coach] Troy Ryan called me and here I am."

Ryan, meanwhile, says he's certainly relieved to have more assurance between the posts. He admits Barrière seems like a dream. At first, he couldn't help but wonder if Barrière was too good to be true.

"He was drafted in the third round to Quebec Major Junior, which puts him in a pretty elite class," Ryan said. "We've had some good goaltenders here in the past but none of them have played in the Quebec league."

Ryan initially questioned how someone with Barrière's resume could be available in the first place.

"He seems on paper to have all these credentials," Ryan said. "The other side of me is thinking, 'why is he available?'"

Barrière hints at an uncomfortable situation with his previous teams. Judging from their conversations over the past few weeks, Ryan could only speculate what the answer to his question is.

"It could be lack of confidence," he reasons. "I think in his mind he hasn't gotten a fair shot to show what he has."

Ryan has never seen Barrière play. After speaking with those who know him, he gets the impression Barrière is a "good kid" with a "good head on his shoulders." Ryan said he isn't sure whether Barrière will start today against Summerside, or if that role will go to Max Pelzner or Kody Cuvelier. Either way, Ryan is excited about Barrière's potential.

"A big goaltender with skill, I'll take a chance on that any day," he said.

"My expectations are not really expectations but more hopes. I hope he can come in and be a top end guy. Hopefully this can be a place he can end up staying and be our number one or number two guy."