Here's a player that doesn't get talked about much but wow he put some serious numbers on the board (366 points in 268 games) before he was taken out by a serious tumour in his forearm. He still had a good career afterwards but it seemed to have drastically affected his momentum. Could any Bruins fan or longtime hockey watcher weigh in on what kind of player he was? It looks like he could have had a hall of fame career.
Barry Pederson and what could have been.
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Barney Gumble
Registered User
- Jan 2, 2007
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Sort of OT - Did him and Middleton play on the same line? Only asking because they both seemed to put up big numbers about the same time.
Blades of Glory
Troll Captain
Forever known as the guy that was traded for Cam Neely, but he had himself a career cut short by injury, much like the man he was traded for.
Barry was Nifty's center and a power play center. He was an extremely talented,smart,and instinctual player with a great shot. He and Nifty complemented each other perfectly. Despite all Neely's accomplishments he never reached the early point production of Pederson. The benign bicep tumor cost Pederson strength and his Bruin career. If he had stayed healthy he would have been a 1200 point career guy in Boston in my opinion. He would have been neck and neck with Hawerchuk from day one.
Sorry, need to brush up on the nickname game...who's nifty? Rick Middleton?
Thanks for the report...it's such a shame to see a player's career cut short like that. Well it wasn't really cut short. He also had 2 insane playoff years.
Nifty is Rick Middleton. It's too bad his career peaked at 22 years old because it appeared it was gonna be a hell of a ride.
EpochLink
Canucks and Jets fan 🇵🇭🇨🇦
Pederson finished in second behind Hawerchuk in the Calder Trophy race that year..but yeah, that tumor ruined his career.
Pederson
reg season 701 238 416 654 472
playoffs 34 22 30 52
neely
reg season726 395 299 694 1241
playoffs 93 57 32 89 168
reg season 701 238 416 654 472
playoffs 34 22 30 52
neely
reg season726 395 299 694 1241
playoffs 93 57 32 89 168
DKH
Awful takes/ Fraudulent Insider
- Feb 27, 2002
- 74,659
- 62,973
We are about the same age, saw his entire career as a season ticket holder, lived near him and we everyone knew him to some degree, married a local girl (Marblehead).
I think I missed about 5 games from 1983-1995 so and even in my college days my parents took me whenever I came home, so I saw Barry plenty.
He was almost the perfect player- he was a young Ratelle. He was my favorite player and he in Middleton together were about as good as it gets. They were talented, smart, and clean. He scored the big goals, and I had a video of a 6-5 Bruins OT win in Edmonton from about 1983-4 somewhere when Pederson scores a hat trick and the Oilers are loaded with what is about to be a dynasty.
What happened was he had a tumor on his biceps, and I saw it plenty, and it was nasty- he had quite a scar and probably still does. He never seemed to be the same player after that. He got dealt to Vancouver and became sort of a club house lawyer (my source is about as good as you can get fwiw) and he started going to Boston College to get his degree. He had just got married and for whatever reason just lost some of it. Not sure if it was his focus, health, whatever, but the stats didn't lie and he just seemed distanced when playing imo and others.
One of the most startling changes I have ever seen. He was that good- smooth as silk and hockey sense dripping out of ever pour. He is very, very successful these days and is a Senior Partner at his company I believe....my buds know more and if I remember I'll get the details if you want.
Just a fantastic player those first half dozen years, and yes, I HATED the Neely deal when it happened
Descibing him reminds me how my father used to talk about guys like Bobby Doerr of the Red Sox or Milt Schmidt, or the younger Jean Belliveau....you kinda had to see them day in and day out appreciate just how damn good they were. I am still a season ticket holder and saw all of Thornton and can tell you Pederson's first 6 years all around blow Joe out of the water. Joe will obviously be better and likely a HOF. If you watch baseball or follow it, a guy like Cesar Cedeno who came up with the Astros had similar stardum like Barry but his fall was due to different circumstances, but both at one time were spectacular talents who never got even a sniff of the HOF.
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His early showing hinted at stardom,even eclipsing Ratelle in my opinion. If his first 3 years production had continued,Neely would have never been in Boston nor missed. The bicep was the turning point and the Neely trade was pure luck.
Dr Quincy
Registered User
- Jun 19, 2005
- 28,770
- 12,417
Not to compare them in any other aspect of the game, but his wrist shot was very Sakic-esque. He was "decent" in all other areas, but that was his one special gift. It would have been interesting to see what he would have done without the injury.
Funny how things work out...if Pederson was able to recover from the tumour...Neely would never have been a Bruin
We are about the same age, saw his entire career as a season ticket holder, lived near him and we everyone knew him to some degree, married a local girl (Marblehead).
I think I missed about 5 games from 1983-1995 so and even in my college days my parents took me whenever I came home, so I saw Barry plenty.
He was almost the perfect player- he was a young Ratelle. He was my favorite player and he in Middleton together were about as good as it gets. They were talented, smart, and clean. He scored the big goals, and I had a video of a 6-5 Bruins OT win in Edmonton from about 1983-4 somewhere when Pederson scores a hat trick and the Oilers are loaded with what is about to be a dynasty.
What happened was he had a tumor on his biceps, and I saw it plenty, and it was nasty- he had quite a scar and probably still does. He never seemed to be the same player after that. He got dealt to Vancouver and became sort of a club house lawyer (my source is about as good as you can get fwiw) and he started going to Boston College to get his degree. He had just got married and for whatever reason just lost some of it. Not sure if it was his focus, health, whatever, but the stats didn't lie and he just seemed distanced when playing imo and others.
One of the most startling changes I have ever seen. He was that good- smooth as silk and hockey sense dripping out of ever pour. He is very, very successful these days and is a Senior Partner at his company I believe....my buds know more and if I remember I'll get the details if you want.
Just a fantastic player those first half dozen years, and yes, I HATED the Neely deal when it happened
Descibing him reminds me how my father used to talk about guys like Bobby Doerr of the Red Sox or Milt Schmidt, or the younger Jean Belliveau....you kinda had to see them day in and day out appreciate just how damn good they were. I am still a season ticket holder and saw all of Thornton and can tell you Pederson's first 6 years all around blow Joe out of the water. Joe will obviously be better and likely a HOF. If you watch baseball or follow it, a guy like Cesar Cedeno who came up with the Astros had similar stardum like Barry but his fall was due to different circumstances, but both at one time were spectacular talents who never got even a sniff of the HOF.
Wow thanks for the detailed report DKH, seems like we've missed out. It's funny how luck plays a big part in an athlete's future.
This Pederson thing made a good story. Just to add a little more info -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Pederson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Pederson
trenton1
Bergeron for Hart
From what I have read and heard, the Canucks were looking to deal Neely and the Bruins west coast scout had told Sinden that Neely was someone they needed to acquire. Bart Bradley (B's west coast pro scout) was very high on Neely and the Canucks, particularly their coach at the time (Watt) were pretty down on Cam.
I think it's safe to say it may not have happened without a chip like Pederson heading to Van. but who knows...the sending of Pederson in that trade for "just" Neely required Vancouver to send a 1st rounder to Boston so perhaps there was another deal that could have been made by Boston.
Funny thing is, even with that arm ailment, I think if the B's had somehow kept Pederson and still acquired Neely, Pederson may have been revived to the point of sticking in the league at least as long as Cam did. Pederson remained a nearly PPG for 3 years after the tumor even on some pretty crap teams but he just petered out. IIRC he also had got a case of whiplash (from a car accident?? anyone remember?) around 1988 which may have further cut down his production.
I remember thinking it was a great opportunity for the (only) 30 year old Pederson when he came back to the Bruins in 1991-92, but it was too late. Besides Pederson's own year by year regression, he had no one to play with. The Bruins were decimated by injuries that year, including Neely, who was completely sidelined (save for a handful of games).
Pederson was so smart out there. A great two way player. I believe he may well have played right up into this decade (ala the similarly cerebral Adam Oates) if he had never had that tumor. Pederson is only about a year older than Oates.
Pederson's performance in the 1983 playoffs (the first I remember) was absolutely incredible.
I think it's safe to say it may not have happened without a chip like Pederson heading to Van. but who knows...the sending of Pederson in that trade for "just" Neely required Vancouver to send a 1st rounder to Boston so perhaps there was another deal that could have been made by Boston.
Funny thing is, even with that arm ailment, I think if the B's had somehow kept Pederson and still acquired Neely, Pederson may have been revived to the point of sticking in the league at least as long as Cam did. Pederson remained a nearly PPG for 3 years after the tumor even on some pretty crap teams but he just petered out. IIRC he also had got a case of whiplash (from a car accident?? anyone remember?) around 1988 which may have further cut down his production.
I remember thinking it was a great opportunity for the (only) 30 year old Pederson when he came back to the Bruins in 1991-92, but it was too late. Besides Pederson's own year by year regression, he had no one to play with. The Bruins were decimated by injuries that year, including Neely, who was completely sidelined (save for a handful of games).
Pederson was so smart out there. A great two way player. I believe he may well have played right up into this decade (ala the similarly cerebral Adam Oates) if he had never had that tumor. Pederson is only about a year older than Oates.
Pederson's performance in the 1983 playoffs (the first I remember) was absolutely incredible.
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