Justin Bailey has more goals than anyone else on the San Jose Barracuda‘s roster, scoring almost half a goal per game, but he’s not stopping there. I spoke to Bailey last week about growing up in Buffalo, his journey to the pros, and what he wants to accomplish this season with the Barracuda.
Who is Justin Bailey?
Justin Bailey was a hometown kid draft pick for the Buffalo Sabres organisation in 2013, where he played for both the Sabres and their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, for four seasons before being traded to Philadelphia. Since then, he’s played in Lehigh Valley, Utica and Bakersfield of the AHL, as well as parts of three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks in the AHL. Last season he had 19 goals and 32 points for the Condors, good for fifth on the team. This season, he’s leading the Barracuda in goals, with 6, is tied for second in points with Cole Cassels and rookie Ethan Cardwell, and is on pace for a 57 point season, a career high.
Bailey’s been an impact player for the Barracuda so far this season. He considers himself a player that plays with pace, and uses his speed on both the forecheck and backcheck to be effective, whether at even strength or on the power play. For a Barracuda team that at times struggled to score last season, Bailey has been a welcome addition to the offensive zone.
The Road To The AHL
Bailey’s father is Carlton Bailey, a former linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, but football was never in the cards for Bailey. Growing up in Buffalo with his mother, he was enamoured by the Sabres of the late nineties and early 2000s. ‘For me, it was growing up idolising Sabres players, being around them a little [..] it was a dream of mine from the time I was four or five,’ Bailey said in a Zoom interview. Bailey’s dream came true in 2013, when he was drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Sabres, but even as a teenager, he was careful to take it step by step.
‘When I was in high school, my goal was to make the varsity team. It wasn’t to make major juniors, or look for a college scholarship. It was one of the things I took step by step.’
Bailey on his path to the NHL draft
Bailey was drafted as a fifteen year old by the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL and the Indiana Ice of the USHL, and also made a verbal commitment to Michigan State University of the NCAA. He weighed his options, and eventually realised the best thing for him was the OHL, so he signed with Kitchener, had 36 points in his rookie season, and ended up a second round draft pick.
Welcome To San Jose, Justin Bailey
Bailey spent six seasons with the Sabres, including two years being loaned back to the Kitchener Rangers. Since then, he’s never been in one place for longer than three seasons, spending a year in Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley, then three with Vancouver and Utica, including the COVID-19 season in 2020-21, before a season in Bakersfield last season. Now with the Barracuda, this is Bailey’s fifth AHL team in his ninth pro season. How do you be the best version of yourself if you have new teammates every season?
‘It’s definitely difficult but at the same time, I’m a big proponent of controlling what I can control. I can control my sleep, my diet, my attitude. Usually the rest takes care of itself. You know, putting in the work on a daily basis, being ready for whatever opportunity whether it’s our game on Friday, whether it’s an opportunity to play with different players whatever it is, I’m ready for the next challenge that’s thrown at me. I think that’s something that I’ve done my whole life.’
Bailey on being the best version of himself
The Little Things
Bailey’s fitted in nicely with this Barracuda squad. As the fourth oldest player on the Roster, he’s become a veteran at the age of 28, and has been building chemistry with players like Danil Gushchin. Not content with his current scoring pace though, Bailey is determined to help the team on both sides of the puck: ‘I’ve done a lot of work over the past two or three years to add things like the penalty kill to my game. It’s about cleaning up the little things, the shot blocking, things like that. If I go to the NHL, I’m going to be playing more of a checking role, so it’s about getting more PK minutes and hopefully carving out a role there.’
With three points in his last four games for the Barracuda, Bailey is becoming a big part of the offence for San Jose, especially while they’re still missing Tristen Robins due to injury. When the Barracuda right the ship, Bailey will almost certainly be at the front of the charge.
Image Credits: Maddie Dutra
