Halifax's Barron brothers go head-to-head in NHL game in Montreal

It was a dream come true for the parents of Morgan and Justin Barron as they watched their two sons go head-to-head in an NHL game Tuesday.

Gerard and Jenny Barron sat in the stands before the game at the Bell Centre in Montreal as their sons came together at centre ice for a photograph — wearing opposing uniforms.

Morgan Barron, who is 24 and the older of the two brothers, plays for the Winnipeg Jets, while Justin Barron, 21, plays for the Montreal Canadiens.

The Barron brothers are the only siblings from Nova Scotia to play in the NHL. Tuesday night's game was the first time they played against each other.

But there's no favourite in the Barron household, as Gerard wore a Montreal hat and Jenny wore a Winnipeg hat to represent both of their sons' teams in the stands.

Justin, 21, had an outstanding night as he registered two assists for the winning team, with Montreal beating Winnipeg 4-1. He was also named the game's first star. 

"I try not to put too much pressure on myself and on a night like tonight, I just wanted to be as relaxed as possible," said the younger Barron. "It really worked out well. [It was] great to get those two points, especially in front of my parents."

Paths to the NHL

The Barron brothers took two different paths to make it to the NHL. 

Morgan Barron is three years older than his brother, and because of their age difference the pair never played together while growing up in Halifax. But as they grew older, it became obvious they both had a lot of hockey talent.

When Morgan was 16, he left Nova Scotia to play two seasons at St. Andrew's College in Ontario, which paved the way for an athletic scholarship to Cornell University in New York.

The forward went on to become captain of the Cornell team and was drafted by the New York Rangers. He played in 18 games with New York before he was traded to Winnipeg late last season. He has 11 points in 33 games with the Jets this season.

While his older brother took the college route, Justin Barron stayed close to home. The defenceman spent his entire junior career with his hometown team, the Halifax Mooseheads. He also played for Canada in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

He was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2020 NHL draft, but was traded to the Montreal Canadiens late last season. He has played in 15 NHL games.