LIGHTS, CAMERA, BARBS
Aug 2, 2021You’re at your favorite steak house and it’s your turn to order. How are you preparing that perfect steak? For Iowa Wild goaltender Dereck Baribeau, there is only one answer.
“I’m a rare guy,” Baribeau said. “I don’t really time it [steak on the grill] out, it’s all about the feel.”
The Quebec City, Que. born netminder is more than just a steak connoisseur. The culinary arts are a passion for Baribeau, a passion he caught at an early age helping at his father’s restaurant in Canada.
“It started with waking up at 5 a.m. to clean the bar or stock the fridge,” Baribeau said. “Sometimes my dad would bring me into the kitchen, and I would make toast for the meals.”
Standing at 6-foot-6, Baribeau’s frame needs a lot of fuel to keep him functioning at peak levels every day, which describes why when Dereck doesn’t get the food he needs, he can be a bit ornery.
“When I don’t get enough food, I get angry real fast, big men got to eat,” said Baribeau with a laugh. “It’s like those snickers commercials.”
Knowing this, Baribeau doesn’t like depending on others to get him the sustenance he needs. He served as the house chef for the household of Wild teammate and roommate, Damien Giroux. “Barbs” told me to ask Damien for confirmation about the French Canadian’s cooking prowess.
“He always had a few tricks up his sleeve,” Giroux said. “My favorite meal was his salmon and wild rice. He cooked most meats in a sous-vide which always made it more tender.”
When Baribeau’s not on the ice or in the kitchen, you can find him on virtual ice. Dereck is a big fan of the NHL video game series by EA Sports. Such a fan, in fact, that he’s made a part of the game his pre-game ritual.
“I’ve listened to the same playlist before games since I played midget hockey,” Baribeau said. “It’s the soundtrack from NHL 2006. I get so locked in listening to it everyone tells me I look like a psychopath.”
“Barbs” will join Voice of the Wild, Joe O’Donnell, on a Facebook live interview on Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. Fans are encouraged to join in and ask questions.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com.
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