Griffins forward Riley Barber has had a passion for finding the back of the net as long as he can remember.
"I think from the beginning I just loved scoring goals," Barber said. "I just was obsessed with it. I always shot pucks in the garage, cliche thing to say but I shot pucks every single day especially when I was going into college and right before college I got to work with Mike Donnelly who I credit a lot too and he has a little shooting area there off Livonia and I worked with him hours in the summer shooting off ice and I think combined with my love for scoring goals kind of drives it."
He's scored a lot in his career and this season Barber has already lit the lamp 12 times in 16 games, good for third in the AHL and the guys ahead of him have played 25 games.
"I really worked on just hitting the net in practice," Barber said. "I know it sounds a little but crazy but the past couple of years I have gotten a lot of shots on net and this year I am just hitting the net, taking a little bit off it and kind of just getting it to the net and it's kind of working. Also, the line mates I get to play with her with Taro (Hirose) and Criso (Kyle Criscuolo) and we had (Michael) Rasmussen here for a couple so it is definitely a group effort."
Barber says that he doesn't remember the first goal he ever scored.
"I know my moms got it somewhere for sure," he said. "But no I don't remember but I'm sure it was a greasy one."
Barber grew up in Pittsburgh and moved to Detroit in the seventh grade to play hockey. He's now a Red Wings and Tigers fan, but still loves his Steelers.
He got to see his football team win a pair of Super Bowls when he was growing up.
"I just love that Santonio Holmes catch off the back there," Barber said. "That was pretty memorable I remember watching that on TV with my dad, it was pretty cool."
The Griffins play three home game in three days starting Thursday against Chicago at Van Andel Arena.
