‘It was love at first sight’: Former pro hockey player says greatest accomplishment was not record-breaking goal

Adam meets a 91-year-old former pro hockey player who says his greatest accomplishment was not his record-breaking goal.

SIDNEY, B.C. — While he doesn’t regularly wear one of his old hockey teams’ jerseys, Bob Barlow does always carry a card detailing his record-breaking career in the NHL.

“That was something that I dreamed about all my life,” Bob says, and pulls the card out if his pocket showing a picture of him in his uniform on the front and his stats on the back.

After spending 14 years in the minor leagues, Bob was finally drafted to the big leagues when he was 34.

“When most people quit,” Bob says. “I made it to the big leagues.”

And he made a big debut. During the first shift of his first NHL game, Bob scored his first goal after taking his first shot — just six seconds after stepping out on the ice for the first time.

“I felt elation,” Bob smiles.

While nobody has broken that six-second record in the past six decades, and while he played for five championship teams including a stint as captain of the Vancouver Canucks, if you ask Bob to name his greatest accomplishment, he will tell you it happened off the ice.

“(It was) meeting my lovely wife Marilyn,” Bob says, fighting back tears.

Bob recently lost Marilyn, after they first met almost 70 years ago. The gold-medal winning figure skater was leaving the ice just as he was getting on it.

“It was love at first sight,” Bob says.

While that chance encounter led to a first date at the movies, what led to a lifetime of being together was Marilyn challenging Bob to skating race around the rink.

As his teammates watched, Bob says he had no doubt he would win.

“But she was taking long graceful strokes, and I tried to catch her and she ended up embarrassing me and beating me in front of all my teammates,” Bob says. “I couldn’t have loved her more.”

After they got married, both Marilyn and Bob earned accolades on the ice in cities across North America, raised three daughters who were also successful in the world of sports, and strived to teach their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to always be helpful, respectful, and have a strong work ethic.

“Good things will happen if you work hard,” Bob says.

And sometimes the best things will happen when you least expect it — whether you’re scoring record-breaking goals or finding everlasting love.

“Never give-up on your dreams,” Bob says. “Dreams do (come true.)”