The Boston Bruins are off to a hot start and in first place in their division, so it seems like a good time to visit the way-back machine and reminisce a bit about Ed Barry, a Wellesley native born in 1919 who once played left wing for the B’s.
Barry’s Bruins career was short — just 19 games — but he can claim that he scored a goal for the hometown hockey team during the 1946-47 season, back when there were only 6 NHL teams. His career NHL stats also include 3 assists and 2 penalty minutes. During his stint with the Bruins he was one of the few U.S.-born skaters in the NHL. Hockey Hall of Famer and old-time Bruins star Milt Schmidt told the Boston Globe in a 1989 article that Barry was an aggressive player, though not especially fast.
According to the Legends of Hockey website, Barry spent most of his hockey career playing for the Boston Olympics, a Bruins farm team in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (he also coached the Olympics). Barry also played for Northeastern University alongside longtime Bruins broadcaster Fred Cusick and is in the school’s sports Hall of Fame). He also played for the Coast Guard Cutters while serving in WWII. Barry was also a coach for Boston State College and served as an ECAC and NCAA hockey official.
Barry’s Wikipedia profile says he left the Bruins because he didn’t want to travel for away games.
After hockey, Barry honed his golfing skills and went into the insurance business in Needham at Barry and Farrell Insurance Agency.
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