From the tiny St. Louis suburb of Dardenne Prairie, MO, Wild alum Jacob Barber has fashioned a solid hockey career through juniors to college and now pro, most recently with the Birmingham Bulls of the SPHL.

His junior career spawned in Alaska with the NAHL’s Avalanche, and for a season and a half he skated against the Wild as a division rival. Dealt to Wenatchee late in the 2010-11 season, he went on to average just shy of point per game through 16 games plus another 7 in the playoffs. The following season he tried his hand in the USHL with Cedar Rapids, then landed in New Jersey in the EJHL for 11 games before heading back to Wenatchee where he played out the final year and a half of his junior eligibility, finishing with 94 career games played for the Wild.

His college route ran to the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point where he played all four seasons. The Pointers made it to the Division III championship game in his freshman and sophomore years, finally clearing the hurdle in his junior season with a national title.

After graduation, Barber went pro in the 2017-18 season, splitting time with the Peoria Rivermen and Birmingham Bulls, both of the SPHL. He was also “loaned” to Greenville in the ECHL for a few games, and returned to Birmingham for a full season last year.

To this date, he still shares the Wild record for most shorthanded goals in a single season (4). Matching that feat were Jono Davis, AJ Vanderbeck, and Matt Gosiewski.