NEWS

The Long Beach Bombers are proud to announce the signing of ’96-born goaltender, Max Barr. At 6’4, 210lbs, the right-catching netminder is tough to miss. Max is from Wilmington, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. He is entering his sixth year of junior hockey, and is looking to continue his career at an NCAA program.

 

Barr played for the Salem Ice Dogs in the Empire Junior Hockey League as a fifteen year-old. The next season, for the Boston Junior Bruins, he recorded a 2.03 Goals Against Average and .924 Save Percentage in 17 starts. In 2013-2014, Barr split time with Phillips Exeter Academy and the Connecticut Yankees of the USPHL Premier. His next season was stellar, as he posted a 2.17 Goals Against Average and .918 Save Percentage in 20 games for the Richmond Generals of the USPHL Elite. Last season, he fought through half a season in the NOJHL with the cellar-dwelling Blind River Beavers, often facing 60+ shots in a game. At mid-season, he transferred to the Chicago Cougars of the USPHL Midwest, and finished his season with the West Michigan Wolves of the NA3HL. All-in-all, the veteran goalie has started 88 junior games in his career. Barr is looking forward to spending his final junior season with a stable, championship-contending franchise.

 

Rob Day, who is Barr’s long-time goalie coach, spoke to the strengths of his client, "The Long Beach Bombers are getting a great goalie in Max Barr. He is big, has great fundamentals, exhibits a calm demeanor in the net, and his positional play and rebound control are solid."

 

Max’s advisor, Joe Kolodziej, of Hockey Talent Management, describes his client, "Max is a great young man who just happens to be a legitimate NCAA prospect. We wanted to go in a new direction with new experiences for his final junior season. The WSHL offers new challenges along with a high level of competition that fit just what we were looking for. Max is looking forward to continuing to develop and challenging for a championship with his new team."

 

Long Beach Bombers Head Coach & General Manager, Chris White, commented, “Max is coming into a situation in which it is a very important year for both him and our organization. In our discussions, it became clearly evident that both player and team had consistent goals and expectations for the season. Max is a big goalie with a solid résumé, competitive mentality, a ton of experience, and a short memory. He has been described as a great teammate, and not your typical goalie. On that note, he is also a right-catching netminder, that I think can be advantageous in some situations. He played for a prestigious prep school, and has played several years of junior hockey. I think he is primed for the best season of his career. I personally love that he wants to further his career into the collegiate ranks, and I think this opportunity and signing will provide him with a solid platform to do just that. Max and returner, Domenic Bosetti, should offer our team a fantastic one-two punch in net. Another great characteristic is that Max is equally concerned with personal development and team success. We had some issues last year at the goaltending position, and Max will approach this season well-aware of our expectations of him."

 

 

Max Barr’s Player Profile:  http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=178431

 

 

Q & A with Max Barr:

 

Your hockey career has taken you from the Boston area, to a New Hampshire prep school (Phillips Exeter Academy), to Connecticut, to Virginia, to Canada, to Illinois, to Michigan, and now Southern California.  What has your experience been like as a junior hockey goaltender?

My junior hockey career has been full of experiences that I wouldn’t trade for a normal teenager’s life.  Every step has had new challenges, and I feel like it has helped me mature as a person and as a goaltender.

 

As a twenty year-old, what are you looking to get out of this season, and what are your ultimate goals within hockey?

My first goal is to help the Bombers win a Thorne Cup.  After that, I hope to earn an opportunity to play NCAA hockey, and ultimately play professionally.

 

Both Joe Kolodziej, your advisor (he of TheJuniorHockeyNews.com), and Rob Day, your goaltending coach, had extensive conversations with the Bombers about you, prior to your signing. From your side, what helped lead you to your eventual decision to play in Long Beach?

It is a great opportunity to play at the tier 2 level, with a great group of guys from all different backgrounds.  And of course, getting the chance to play in Southern California, rather than freezing cold Canada is a plus too.

 

Standing at 6'4 and weighing over 200 pounds, you clearly have the size to be a goaltender at the next level. What other strengths do you possess, and what are some things you are looking to improve, this season?

 One of my greatest strengths is my mental game, and the way I can overcome adversity.  I’m a very calm goalie, and rarely get rattled in games.  I’m always working on improving my quickness and footwork, and I’m looking forward to working with Coach Jensen on my overall game.

 

The Bombers roster in 2016-2017 should be loaded with veterans, twenty year-olds, and Thorne Cup Playoff experience. What is your mentality or approach, as a goalie, knowing that the expectations and talent level are at an all-time high, for the organization?

 

I am looking forward to the challenge of joining and becoming a part of a winning organization.  I hope to help lead the team from the net out and taking the season one game at a time.