I didn’t know it is possible to feel happiness for a sports figure who has achieved the ultimate in his profession, yet pity for that same sports figure because he apparently has so few people with whom to share his prestigious honor.
I felt both emotions Wednesday when I heard former Penguins goaltender Tom Barrasso had been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his 17th year of eligibility.
There is no question Barrasso belongs.
Start with the two Stanley Cups Barrasso won with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992. He could have been the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as postseason MVP instead of Mario Lemieux in both years, especially in 1992 when he was 16-5 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .907 save percentage.
Throw in what Barrasso did as a rookie with the Buffalo Sabres in 1983-84, going directly to the NHL as an 18-year-old kid fresh from a Massachusetts high school. He won the Calder Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year and the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender. He was 26-12-3 with two shutouts, a 2.85 goals-against average and .893 save percentage in 42 games.
Finally, add in that Barrasso might have handled the puck better than any goaltender in NHL history not named Martin Brodeur. He made things easy for his defensemen by getting the puck out of his zone with precision passes. He ranks first among goaltenders with 48 career points, all assists.
Barrasso won 369 NHL games, which, 20 years after he retired, still is 20th on the league’s all-time list.
For me, Barrasso is the best goaltender in Penguins history, which is saying something about a franchise that also had Marc-Andre Fleury.
It’s silly that it took Barrasso so long to get into the Hall of Fame.
I’m guessing Barrasso’s prickly — to be kind — personality made it easy for the Hall voters to keep him out despite his overwhelming credentials.
Barrasso is one of the smartest, most articulate athletes I’ve covered. He knew his sport like few others and could explain it with the best on those occasions when he felt like doing it.
But, more often than not, Barrasso was arrogant and condescending, not just to fans and media but to his teammates. It’s fair to say he was the least popular player in the room. There were reports the Sabres threw a party when he was traded to the Penguins in November 1988 for Doug Bodger and Darrin Shannon.
Looking back, the Penguins should have thrown the party because it turned out to be one of the best trades in franchise history.
As self-centered as Barrasso was, it wasn’t until he was linked in police reports to an incident at Froggy’s, a downtown hot spot, in May 1994 that he shut out everyone. He thought he was treated unfairly and has held a grudge since. It was as if he turned on all of Pittsburgh. As far as I know, he hasn’t done interviews in a number of years with anyone, which is going to make his Hall of Fame speech extra interesting. That’s if he bothers to show up for the induction. I don’t believe Barrasso has returned for any of the Penguins reunions or alumni functions. He has been back in town only a few times to appear at card shows when he has been paid.
Everyone has a price, I guess.
I’m not sure any of Barrasso’s teammates called to congratulate him on making the Hall.
That’s where my pity for Barrasso comes in.
I actually had a really good relationship with Barrasso at one point. He invited me into his home in Bell Acres in February 1993, a time when he and his wife, Megan, were helping their young daughter, Ashley, deal with cancer for a second time.
“I saw a different side of [Barrasso] that day, a much softer side, a human side,” I wrote in a piece three years ago, lobbying for him to make the Hall of Fame. “I still can see his smile when Ashley came home from kindergarten and handed him a Valentine Day’s card she had made for him. It was a bigger smile than he had when they handed him the Cup.”
That wonderful side of Barrasso disappeared a long time ago.
Is that sad or what?
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story indicated Barrasso hasn’t conducted any interviews since 1994. He addressed the incident in a TV interview in 1996.
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com and Twitter @RonCookPG. Ron Cook can be heard on the “Cook and Joe” show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.
First Published: June 22, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: June 23, 2023, 3:00 p.m.