Barry Tabobondung

Barry Tabobondung (April 3, 1961 – July 11, 2000) was an Ojibwa Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and left winger. He was drafted in the third round, 47th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. In his professional career he played in the American Hockey League (AHL), the International Hockey League (IHL), the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL), and its successor, the ECHL.
==Early life and amateur career==
Tabobondung was born in Parry Sound, Ontario, and grew up on the Wasauksing First Nation Indian reserve near Parry Sound. His grandmother was a tribal chief and member of the Order of Canada. His father also played amateur hockey. As a child he earned the nickname "Hawk" from his grandfather. Tabobondung played for the Newmarket Flyers of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League before playing for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. Tabobondung was eligible for the 1980 Draft but was not selected, and played another junior season, changing his position to left wing. During his second season with Oshawa he recorded 77 points and 320 penalty minutes in 61 games.
Tabobondung attended the 1981 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, in only the second year that junior players other than first round prospects attended the draft. He was selected with the 47th pick in the third round by the Philadelphia Flyers. Tabobondung, who was sitting in the high sections of the Montreal Forum, was so excited to meet the Flyers representatives at the draft that he began climbing over the seats rather than using the steps. At one point his leg became caught in a seat, where he was stuck for two hours until arena maintenance was able to remove the entire row of seats to free him. NHL executive vice-president Brian O'Neill joked that the Flyers could be sure Tabobondung would be available for all of their games in Montreal.
==Professional career==
Tabobondung began his professional career following the draft in 1981 with the Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Maine Mariners, playing in 132 games in two seasons. He also appeared with the Peoria Prancers in 1981–82 in 16 games. Beginning in 1983, Tabobondung played three seasons with the Erie Golden Blades of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. In his first season, he was named to the Second All-Star Team, and the Golden Blades won the league championship. During the 1984–85 season, Tabobondung was selected to the First All-Star Team, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player after recording 12 goals and 67 assists, as well as 2 goals and 8 assists in the playoffs. He ended his career with the Erie Panthers of the ECHL after the 1990–91 season, returning to his native reserve near Parry Sound.
==Life after retirement==
Upon returning to his hometown, Tabobondung contributed as a coach for the junior Parry Sound Shamrocks and Couchiching Terriers. He was killed in a vehicular accident on July 11, 2000. Tabobondung's son Tommy fell from a road grader that they were riding in, and Tabobondung was caught under the machinery in the process of saving his son's life.
==Career statistics==
  	  	  	 	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
1979–80 	Newmarket Flyers 	OPJHL 	 	10 	2 	6 	8 	19 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1979–80 	Oshawa Generals 	OMJHL 	 	51 	7 	11 	18 	190 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1980–81 	Oshawa Generals 	OHL 	 	61 	18 	58 	77 	320 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1981–82 	Maine Mariners 	AHL 	 	72 	11 	15 	26 	166 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	7
1982–83 	Maine Mariners 	AHL 	 	60 	2 	17 	19 	42 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1982–83 	Peoria Prancers 	IHL 	 	16 	2 	7 	9 	13 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983–84 	Erie Golden Blades	ACHL 	 	70 	6 	37 	43 	57 	 	9 	0 	3 	3 	33
1984–85 	Erie Golden Blades	ACHL 	 	64 	12 	67 	79 	82 	 	12 	2 	8 	10 	16
1986–87 	Erie Golden Blades	ACHL 	 	15 	5 	13 	18 	26 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1990–91 	Erie Panthers 	ECHL 	 	16 	2 	6 	8 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
OHL totals 	OHL totals 	OHL totals 	 	112 	25 	69 	95 	510 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
ACHL/ECHL totals	ACHL/ECHL totals 	ACHL/ECHL totals	 	165 	25 	123 	149 	165 	 	21 	2 	11 	13 	49
AHL totals 	AHL totals 	AHL totals 	 	132 	13 	32 	45 	208 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	7
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Awards==
*1984-85 ACHL Most Valuable Player
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:Born in 1961
Category:Dead in 2000
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Erie Golden Blades players
Category:Maine Mariners players
Category:Oshawa Generals alumni
Category:Philadelphia Flyers draft picks
Category:Peoria Prancers players
Category:Erie Panthers players
Category:Retired in 1991
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches