Matthew Barnaby

A dynamic and candid memoir by an unlikely NHL brawler

In the run-up to the NHL Entry Draft in 1992, the Buffalo Sabres interviewed Matthew Barnaby. John Muckler, Buffalo's coach, asked him, "What happens at 8:05 on Saturday night in Detroit when Bob Probert asks you to fight?” When the teenager responded, “That’s easy. At 8:03, I’d have already asked Probert to fight,” they knew they had to draft him.

Through 14 NHL seasons after that exchange, Barnaby never stopped fighting.

In Unfiltered, the former right wing reflects on the adventures of a high-profile life and the determination that got him there, from getting drafted last in juniors to carving out a role for himself on each new NHL team, to discovering new joys and passions in retirement.

Barnaby also opens up about the memorable hijinks, the larger-than-life hockey characters, and the very real challenges and risks that come with the sport's physicality.

Both hilarious and heartrending, this is an unvarnished story of battles fought and lessons learned.