Tusi se faʻaauau mo lenei palakalafa - LaBarbera taʻalo tele hockey aisa talavou i le Western Hockey League (WHL) muamua ma le Portland Winter Hawks mo le fa vaitau ma puʻupuʻu ma le Tri-City Americans ma Spokane Chiefs. Na filifilia o ia e le New York Rangers i le 1998 NHL Entry Draft
i le taʻamilosaga lona tolu, o le lona 66 i le faasologa atoa.