Guest Instructor Barberio Honored Again!

Mark Barberio Named Norfolk Admirals Player of the Year NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk Admirals and Beach Engraving are proud to announce that defenseman Mark Barberio has been named the winner of the 2011-12 Norfolk Admirals Player of the Year award, as voted upon by the players and coaching staff. Barberio, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, posted 13 goals and 61 points with a plus-28 rating and 39 penalty minutes in 74 regular season games with the Admirals this season. He led the team in assists (48) and was fourth in points. Barberio also led all AHL defensemen in assists, points and plus/minus, helping Norfolk to the AHL’s top-ranked offense, third-ranked defense and best overall record. He was also first among AHL rearguards in power-play scoring, notching 31 assists and 38 points as Norfolk ranked second in efficiency with the man advantage (21.7 percent). Last night, Barberio scored a goal in Norfolk's playoff opener. A 22-year-old native of Montreal, Quebec, Barberio set a single-season franchise record for scoring by a defenseman – besting the previous record by 13 points. He was voted as winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's outstanding defenseman earlier this month. Barberio was also voted to the Eastern Conference starting lineup for the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic and was named a First Team AHL All-Star earlier this month. Barberio, a sixth-round draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2008, established franchise records for a rookie defenseman when he totaled nine goals, 22 assists and 31 points in 68 games in 2010-11. In 142 career games with Norfolk, Barberio has posted 22 goals and 92 points. The Admirals and Beach Engraving honored Barberio's selection as Player of the Year prior to tonight’s game against the Manchester Monarchs. Barberio's name was added to the Norfolk Admirals Player of the Year Trophy and Beach Engraving has also presented him with a personal trophy. The awarding of the Player of the Year trophy started in the 2004-05 season with the donation of the trophy by Beach Engraving. Prior winners of the award include Rene Bourque (2004-05), Mark Cullen (2005-06), Corey Crawford and Martin St. Pierre (2006-07), Norm Milley (2007-08), Brandon Bochenski (2008-09), Ryan Craig (2009-10) and Marc-Antoine Pouliot (2010-11). The trophy is currently on display in the Admirals Administrative Offices at Norfolk Scope and will be on display on the upper concourse during all Admirals games.