Lehigh Valley Phantoms goaltender Jason Labarbera is currently playing in his 16^th season of professional hockey. Drafted by the New York Rangers (66^th overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, the native of Burnaby, British Columbia broke into the NHL after a stellar Junior career where he backstopped the Portland Winter Hawks to a Memorial Cup Championship in 1998.  Labarbera has received numerous American Hockey League (AHL) awards and accolades having played 315 AHL games prior to the start of the 2015-16 season. He has also appeared in 187 National Hockey League games throughout his career.

We asked Jason 10 Questions…

1. You have played for six different AHL teams over your 16-year pro career. Which AHL city did you enjoy playing in the most?

I’d say the place I enjoyed the most was probably Hartford. I say that mainly because that is where I spent the most time and because we had some real good teams. I was able to develop some life long friendships with guys on those teams.

2. You won the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP in 2004, along with 2 Goaltender of the Year Awards in 2004 and 2007.  Where do those accolades rank in your collection of favourite hockey memories?  What is your all-time favourite hockey moment you have been part of?

Winning those awards was and still is very memorable. To win any award at any level is a great accomplishment. Winning MVP of the league in 2004 is something I always look back on. We had a great team that year, with a good coaching staff that was able to get the most out of us. I’ll always remember Jim Schoenfeld, our GM at the time, randomly driving behind me and honking his horn telling me to pull over. Once I pulled over he told me that I had won MVP. I think it was in some small parking lot that he told me…

3. When and why did you decide to become a goaltender?

I’ve been a goalie my whole life. I think when I was 5 I played as a player maybe once or twice, but other than that I was always a goalie. Not too sure why I liked it so much, other than the fact that it looked fun and the gear guys wore seemed super intriguing.

4. What has fueled you over the years to move from team to team and maintain a high level of play?

Well that part has certainly been difficult. Moving from team to team over the years… But I think it’s something that just becomes part of your life and something that you just accept as a part of being a hockey player. You definitely have to be open minded and willing to adapt if you are planning on sticking around.

5. Your wife Kodette stars in the W Network TV show Hockey Wives. How did she get involved with the show and what was your initial reaction when she was cast?

She got involved with the show because there were other people that had already committed to it that we had played with in the past. They are people that we are friends with and that we respect. The show is also like a platform to bring some awareness towards Autism (our oldest son is autistic). We enjoy showing some aspects of our life that other people dealing with the same situations can relate to.

6. You are also featured in a number of episodes. Do enjoy being on the show and seeing yourself on TV?  Do you get to see the episodes before they air or are you watching the complete episode for the first time along with everyone else?

It’s definitely a little different seeing yourself on TV in a more vulnerable way. But it was enjoyable. It certainly took me a bit of time to get used to having cameras around when they were in town to shoot, but all in all it’s been a fun experience. They usually send us the episode a day or two before the show airs.

7. Have you had that “wow” moment in your career where you have stopped and realized that you’ve played 16 years of professional hockey, played in the NHL, etc.?

Oh yeah I think it’s happened a few times. Obviously early on in your career you are super wowed by everything – young and naive. Especially in those early years with the Rangers when I would get called up and they had guys like Messier, Leetch, Lindros, Bure, Richter etc. It was eye-opening big time. And now to be where I’m at in my career and think that I’ve been able to play 16 years is pretty crazy… Let alone that I think I’m the 2nd oldest goalie playing in North America! Its pretty wild and it goes by fast!

8. Describe the responsibilities that come with being a veteran and how you approach welcoming/mentoring young players?

I think there’s always some sort of responsibility that comes with being a veteran player. But it mostly involves how you carry yourself and your reaction to different situations. You have to find some sort of balance because you don’t want to be that guy that is always heaping all this “advice.” It can get annoying for the younger guys. But if you come to the rink and work hard, have a smile on your face, and tell a few good stories you’re probably doing a good job.

9. What was it like playing in your first ever NHL game?

My first NHL “game” was one of the coolest things that happened to me. I was 20 years old and had made the Rangers out of camp because Mike Richter was hurt at the time. The other goalie was Kirk McLean who for me was my favorite goalie growing up. So I got to back up the guy who I had posters of on the wall and patterned my game after as a kid. We were in Pittsburgh and it was 8-4 for the Pens with 10 minutes to go in the game. Jagr had 4 goals at that point…our coach was Ron Lowe and he comes down to the end of the bench and says, “get in there kid.” So not only did I backup my goalie idol, I got to replace him in a game. It was quite the experience. Needless to say I didn’t get scored on in those 10 minutes and the game ended up 8-6…

10. Have you ever asked a teammate or an opposing player for an autograph?

I have quite often over the years. I’ve tried to get jerseys made up of guys I’ve played with over the years and have them signed. I’ve got a pretty great collection at home!