Who wore it best: No. 35, Tom Barrasso taken at Highmark Stadium (Penguins)

Welcome to our series on who wore each number best for the Penguins.

The idea is being openly borrowed from our new hockey writer, Cody Tucker, and his project at the Lansing State Journal covering all the uniform numbers worn through Michigan State football history, one that’s been well received by their readers and prompted heavy discussion and debate.

Under my organization, and following the voting of a big chunk of our staff, we’ll publish one new one each day until completion, which should be right around the start of training camp.

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Name: Tom Barrasso

Number: 35

Position: Goaltender

Born: March 31, 1965, in Boston

Seasons with Penguins: 1988-2000

Statistics with Penguins: 460 games, 226 wins, 3.27 goals against average, .895 save percentage in regular season; 101 games, 56 wins, 2.91 goals against average in playoffs

Tom Barrasso. - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

WHY BARRASSO? 

Simply put, Tom Barrasso is the second-best goaltender in franchise history. A controversial figure off the ice, Barrasso earned criticism for his locker room presence and dealings with the media, but those don't take away from what he accomplished with the Penguins.

The Penguins acquired the 23-year-old Barrasso and a third-round draft pick from the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 12, 1988 in exchange for Doug Bodger and Darrin Shannon.

He was a prodigy as a rookie, winning both the Calder for best rookie and Vezina for best goaltender despite joining the Sabres straight out of high school. Despite the early personal achievements, postseason success eluded Barrasso and the Sabres.

Barrasso went 18-5-7 for the remainder of the 1988-89 regular season, and the Penguins went on to be eliminated in the conference semifinals. His first full season with the Penguins in 1989-90 was marred by injuries to his hand and groin, as well as a 23-game leave of absence to be with his daughter, Ashley, who had been diagnosed with cancer. He only appeared in 24 games.

Next season was a different story. While Barrasso still dealt with injuries throughout the season, he set a franchise record for wins in a single season with 27, a record that has since been broken multiple times over. He and the Penguins went on to win their first Stanley Cup. Barrasso was a steady presence in net for the Penguins during their first run, recording a .919 save percentage, and he posted a shutout in the Stanley Cup-clinching game against Minnesota.

Barrasso again dealt with injuries during the 1991-92 season, but was back to his usual form for the playoff run, and earned a .907 save percentage. Barrasso earned his second postseason shutout with the Penguins in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, as he and the Penguins went on to sweep the Chicago Blackhawks and win their second Stanley Cup.

His most successful regular season came in 1992-93, when he recorded 43 wins to help the Penguins win the Presidents' Trophy. Despite another strong showing in the playoffs, Barrasso and the Penguins' threepeat bid fell short.

Barrasso was the Penguins' starting goaltender for the rest of the decade, and was part of nine playoff runs in total.

He's second all-time among Penguins goaltenders in games played (490), wins (226), and shutouts (22), trailing only Marc-Andre Fleury. He's the league's all-time leading scorer among goaltenders with 48 assists, and was the first U.S. born goaltender to reach 300 wins

WHAT'S HE DOING NOW? 

Barrasso played a handful of games with the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and St. Louis Blues after leaving Pittsburgh. On June 18, 2003, the Penguins signed Barrasso to a one-day contract so he could retire as a Penguin.

Barrasso joined the Hurricanes as a goaltending coach from 2007-09 before being promoted to assistant coach, a role he held until 2012. He spent one season as assistant coach for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL in 2012-13. He spent a few months as goaltending coach for HC Slovan Bratislava in 2015, then was named head coach of Italian club Valpellice mid-season. Since 2016, he has been head coach of the Italian club Asiago Hockey of the Alps Hockey League.

Barrasso and Asiago lost in the Alps Hockey League championship in 2016-17, and won the championship in 2017-18.

IT WAS SPOKEN

"I went through a very interesting transformation. From looking at my career like I couldn't wait for it to end to enjoying every minute of it. It's like being a kid again, and having the fun that comes with playing on the best team there is with the best guys around." -- Barrasso on his change in attitude during his career

"We're going to go as far as Tommy takes us. Tommy's back fresh and on top of his game ... You go back in the history of the Stanley Cup, usually the Most Valuable Player is the goalie. It's never going to change. You need good goaltending." -- Bob Johnson on Barrasso prior to the 1991 Stanley Cup Final

"Tommy is a big key for us. He's the best in the league at making the saves at the right time." -- Mario Lemieux on Barrasso in 1993

HONORABLE MENTIONS AT NO. 35

Warren Young

ANY DEBATE?

None. Young did have a 40-goal season in 1984-85 while playing on a line with a rookie by the name of Mario Lemieux. Nobody comes close to Barrasso, though.

Tomorrow: Chris Bradford has No. 36.

Yesterday: Tom Kuhnhackl

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