Barkey’s rookie year a glimpse of what’s to come
Denver Barkey, an exciting rookie, earned a lot of ice time as a 16-year-old this season. But he’s only scratched the surface on his talent. His future is bright, and Knights fans will have a front row seat.
(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
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Antonio Stranges has scored highlight-reel goals, his coast-to-coast skating wowing fans throughout the season. Luke Evangelista has displayed the type of goal-scoring prowess (55 goals) where it’s seemed everything he’s touched has turned to goals. More quietly, though, another Knights player has been turning heads with his exciting play this season – and at just 16 years of age.
Denver Barkey is fun to watch. He’s the type of player who keeps you guessing – whether you’re an opponent or a fan. ‘What’s he going to do?’ ‘Where’s he going to go?’ It’s not clear, because Barkey has a lot of tricks up his sleeve – already.
That’s an exciting thought if you’re a Knights fan, because he’s going to be around for awhile. Stranges and Evangelista, both NHL prospects, will move on next year, and the goal-scoring mantle may very well be passed on to Barkey. The question may not be when, but how soon.
“I think he’s going to be a big point-getter in the OHL,” said Evangelista, this year’s OHL leader in goals (fourth in points). “And from what I’ve seen, I have no doubt he’s going to be an NHL player one day.”
It’s high praise coming from the Knights’ best player. But he would know. Evangelista didn’t score a single goal during his own rookie season in London. He played 27 games in 2018-19, contributing a pair of assists in his age 16 season. Barkey tallied 15 points (including seven goals) in 53 games this year – all at 16 years of age (he’ll turn 17 next week during the playoffs).
“You don’t get showcased as much as a 16-year-old in London, so sometimes (the points) might not seem like much, but it’s really impressive here. He’s a really special player, and he’s a really good kid too.”
Indeed, playing time is notoriously difficult to come by as a 16-year-old in London, where the Knights are perpetually deep with talent. But Barkey, who was a first-round draft pick last year (16th overall), broke through and enjoyed a strong rookie season. In addition to his 15 points, he was eighth on the team in faceoffs, winning them at a 51.2 percent rate (155-for-303). He had a healthy 63 shots on goal.
“I’ve been really fortunate to receive a lot of ice time and opportunity,” said Barkey, who finished the regular season with an assist in each game last weekend. “I know not all guys get the opportunity I’ve had when they’re 16. I’ve just tried to listen to the coaches, really buy in, and try my best and work my hardest every night. It’s been really cool to get a lot of opportunity and play with some of the top guys.”
Most of that hard work actually happens away from the fans – at practices. That’s where a 16-year-old really develops – and works hard to earn ice time come game day. That’s true for Barkey’s entire game, including his work in the defensive zone, but it’s particularly true for his offensive skills.
“Definitely something I’ve been working on in practice is scoring goals, and I feel that’s kind of translated over to my game recently,” he said. “It’s about focusing more in practice on scoring and making sure every shot and opportunity I get in practice goes into the net.”
(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
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The Knights knew that finding the net was a skill of Barkey’s when they drafted him. The Newmarket, Ont., native tallied 46 points (10 goals) in 32 games – as a 14-year-old – for the Toronto Titans U15 AAA squad in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. And he got off to a fast start in the green and gold, putting up an impressive seven points in six preseason games. It certainly caught the eye of Knights assistant GM Rob Simpson.
“He’s been a real pleasant surprise for us,” Simpson said at the time. “For a younger player, to be able to come in and show his amount of skill and hockey sense has been impressive. It also hasn’t seemed to bother him so far that he’s a smaller player. He plays much bigger than his size.”
Oh yeah, about that size … Barkey is 5-foot-9, with a listed weight under 150 pounds. That excitement in his game? It’s largely arisen from the creativity he’s developed to compete with bigger, stronger players.
“I gotta be smart, knowing my size. I’m not going to out-muscle guys on the ice, so I just have to pick my spots, be smart and creative, and use my speed to my advantage,” Barkey said. “The advantages are I can be a little more sneaky. I have a lower centre of gravity, and I can spin off guys and maybe get away from them a little quicker than the big guys can.”
Following a strong preseason, Barkey had a fairly quiet first month of the year – though the excitement in his game was apparent right away. The quick speed, the nifty passing. Everything that makes you say, ‘What’s he going to do next?’
He scored his first OHL goal Nov. 6 on the road in Flint. At the 3:27 mark of the second period, with the Knights on a 3-on-2 break, Barkey took a drop pass from Max McCue and wired a wrist shot past Flint goalie Luke Cavallin to put the Knights ahead 2-1 at the time.
That first marker, Barkey says, still stands as his personal highlight of the season. A close second? His three-point night two games later. On Nov. 13, in Erie, the 16-year-old assisted on the first goal of the game. Down 4-2, he scored with 28 seconds left in the second period to put the Knights within one. And then he assisted on the game-tying goal, 8:24 into the third period (London scored twice more – and added an empty netter – for the 7-4 win).
Games like that certainly made it easier for Knights coach Dale Hunter to continue giving Barkey ice time. But he also earned it for his work in other areas of the game. What else helped?
“Taking care of the (defensive) zone, for sure,” said Barkey. “If you mess up in-season, that’s going to cut your ice time. So, making sure I stay on my man and just following the systems in the D-zone. And then also just playing very consistent. When you’re a young guy, you gotta play good every night. I make sure I’m ready for every game and don’t take a game off.”
(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
It’s resulted in a highly successful rookie season for the 16-year-old – and a fun one, too.
“It’s been really cool just getting to hang out with the older guys, getting to know them, going out to eat or going to the mall. They’re more mature and they’ve been through it and have the experience, so to get to know them and learn from them has been cool.”
It’s hard to pick favourites, of course. There’s Liam Gilmartin, and there’s Camaryn Baber, among others, Barkey says. But Evangelista gets the nod. The rookie has been a fan of London’s top goal scorer since day one. And the captain has provided the rookie with good advice all season.
“He’s been really good to me. Talking to him and getting advice from him has been really cool,” said Barkey. “Watching him score and play consistently every night has really caught my eye. I don’t know how he does it, but he seems to score one or two goals every night. It’s amazing.”
The age difference between the two is significant (there’s a big difference between 16 and 20), but after a season playing with Barkey, Evangelista says he doesn’t even think about it.
“When I’m talking to him now, we’re so comfortable with each other, it’s just like talking to a guy my age,” he said. “He’s eager to learn. He asks a lot of questions. He’s a really good kid.”
When Barkey experienced some rough stretches this season, as all 16-year-olds in the OHL do (especially in London when ice time is no guarantee), Evangelista was there to give him a boost.
“I just always tried to remind him about my rookie season, for example, and how much better he is at 16 than what I was doing at his age,” the captain said. “I’ve just tried to pump some confidence in him, because he’s a really special player.”
Who knows, maybe Barkey will be in Evangelista’s shoes three years from now – the team’s top scorer, a 100-point player, and the leader of a team with OHL championship aspirations.
“Hopefully something like that,” Barkey said. “Something like that in a few years? That would be pretty cool.”
Knight Watch: London won two of three last weekend without its stars; Big trade brings key defenceman to the Forest City; Goaltending duo continues to shine; It’s Erie Wednesday, Sarnia at home Friday …