# Bob Barlow

Robert George Barlow (born June 17, 1935) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. He played 77 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars between 1969 and 1970, and 51 games in the World Hockey Association between 1974 and 1975. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1955 to 1976, was spent in various minor leagues.

## Playing career

Barlow was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He was the captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League during the 1968–69 season. He played in 77 National Hockey League games with the Minnesota North Stars over parts of two seasons and 51 World Hockey Association games with the Phoenix Roadrunners during the 1974–75 season. He retired after that season and became the coach of the Tucson Mavericks in 1975–76. He played 2 games for the team, which marked the end of his playing career. Bob served as the captain of the 1968-69 Vancouver Canucks, where he won the WHL championship that led the Canucks into the NHL. He was one of the most potent scoring machines in that League, and for that matter, in most of the teams he played on. His career spanned twenty-four years in five professional Hockey leagues-NHL, WHL, AHL, CHL, WHA-accumulating a total of 1,052 points (including 522 goals)-one AHL Championship and four WHL Championships.
On Oct. 11, 1969, at the age of 34, Barlow made his NHL debut as a member of the Minnesota North Stars; becoming the oldest rookie to play a game in NHL history (to be eclipsed three years later, by 38-year-old Connie Madigan. He scored on his first shift, beating Bernie Parent of the Philadelphia Flyers. Bob scored his first NHL goal, on the first shot of his first shift after six seconds on the ice. This record fastest first goal remains the NHL record.

## Personal life

Barlow's daughter, Wendy Barlow, was an All-American tennis player at Brigham Young University. In addition, she played six years of professional tennis and was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. His granddaughter, Hillary Pattenden, was an all-star-goaltender for the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey program. Bob and his wife Marilyn reside in Victoria, BC They have three daughters and five grandchildren.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1953–54 | Barrie Flyers | OHA | 29 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1954–55 | Barrie Flyers | OHA | 46 | 33 | 27 | 60 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1954–55 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | North Bay Trappers | NOHA | 56 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 56 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 1956–57 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1956–57 | North Bay Trappers | NOHA | 56 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 27 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 8 |
| 1957–58 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 1957–58 | North Bay Trappers | OHA Sr | 60 | 27 | 36 | 63 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1958–59 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 70 | 27 | 27 | 54 | 39 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20 |
| 1959–60 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 72 | 28 | 32 | 60 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960–61 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 67 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1961–62 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 61 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962–63 | Seattle Totems | WHL | 70 | 47 | 30 | 77 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 10 |
| 1963–64 | Seattle Totems | WHL | 66 | 35 | 20 | 55 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Seattle Totems | WHL | 70 | 30 | 17 | 47 | 50 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 1965–66 | Victoria Maple Leafs | WHL | 71 | 42 | 39 | 81 | 20 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 21 |
| 1966–67 | Victoria Maple Leafs | WHL | 70 | 21 | 38 | 59 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1967–68 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 72 | 43 | 52 | 95 | 72 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 25 |
| 1968–69 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 74 | 36 | 48 | 84 | 50 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 11 |
| 1969–70 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 70 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 1970–71 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1970–71 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHL | 44 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
| 1971–72 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHL | 64 | 16 | 21 | 37 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1972–73 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHL | 51 | 26 | 42 | 68 | 41 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 28 |
| 1973–74 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHL | 48 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 6 |
| 1974–75 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHA | 51 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 25 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1975–76 | Tucson Mavericks | CHL | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| WHA totals | WHA totals | WHA totals | 51 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 77 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |