A Prince George product continues to burn it up at the NHL coaching ranks.
Jason LaBarbera is the new goaltending coach of the Calgary Flames.
The move was part of a departmental restructuring announced today (Wednesday).
The 40-year-old will oversee the day-to-day duties with the Flames netminders.
LaBarbera completed a 16-year professional playing career, four years ago.
He spent the past four seasons, as Assistant Coach/Goalie Coach with the Calgary Hitmen and also served as the Goalie Coach for Canada’s National Teams including the U-18 team the past two seasons and with Team Canada’s U-20 club which won gold at the World Junior Championship.
LaBarbera’s journey started at the junior level in the Western Hockey League between 1996-2000 where he played for the Portland Winterhawks, Tri-City Americans, and Spokane Chiefs.
From there, he spent the next five years mostly toiling mostly in the minors with AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack and the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers before finally getting called up to the New York Rangers.
His NHL career also included stops with the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes (Arizona), Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and Philadelphia Flyers.
LaBarbera retired from playing in 2016 after suiting up on 23 occasions for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League.