The Yarmouth Mariners have announced that forward Matt Barron has committed to Ontario Tech University for 2020-21. The 20-year-old hometown captain ends his MHL career as Yarmouth franchise leader in games played (236), assists (170), and points (262).
A Territorial Selection in the 2015 MHL Entry Draft, Barron played all 48 games for Yarmouth as a rookie in 2015-16, tallying 14 goals and 14 assists to finish tied for second in team scoring with Matthew Smith. The following season, he amassed 14 goals and 20 assists in 37 games and got his first taste of playoff action, chipping in with one goal in a five-game, first round loss to the Truro Bearcats.
Barron broke out in 2017-18 with 9 goals and 40 assists in 50 games to lead the Mariners in scoring. Yarmouth would avenge their loss to the Bearcats the previous season with a seven-game victory, and Barron’s two goals and ten assists in 18 games would help the Mariners roll through South Shore to the league final, where they would come up just short of a title against the Edmundston Blizzard.
Now a 19-year-old, Barron finished third in league scoring with 31 goals and 41 assists as Yarmouth captured their second straight Eastlink South title. With six goals and eleven assists, Barron would help Yarmouth get back to the Canadian Tire Cup Championship where this time there would be no heartbreak. The Mariners swept Campbellton in four games and Barron was named Playoff MVP.
In his final season in the MHL, Barron began to knock down franchise record after franchise record set by star forward Justin d’Entremont. He finished fifth in league scoring with 24 goals and 55 assists for a career-high 79 points, as Yarmouth once again took the Eastlink South title and prepare to defend their league championship. Barron was named an All-Star for the first time and was voted the Character Player of the Year.
“Matt is a player who I have been watching and keeping tabs on for the past three seasons as he has developed his game in Yarmouth,” said Ridgeback head coach Curtis Hodgins. “He is a tremendous two-way player who is very creative offensively and can put the puck in the net, while also being very responsible on the defensive side of puck. We feel he has the potential to be a strong contributor right away at the U SPORTS level and we look forward to welcoming him to our Ridgebacks’ family.”
The Maritime Junior Hockey League and Yarmouth Mariners congratulate Matt Barron for his incredible MHL career and commitment to Ontario Tech University.