Colts de Barrie
Barnes was drafted in the second round, fifty-fifth overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Barnes played his junior career for three teams in the OHL; the Sudbury Wolves, the Toronto St. Michael's Majors and finally the Barrie Colts. On October 3, 1999, he was suspended from the OHL for 25 games for a stick-swinging incident in a game against Oshawa Generals. At the end of that season, he played with the Barrie Colts in the Memorial Cup Championship final.