Stuart Barnes was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1970 right here in Spruce Grove. His career in hockey began at the age of 12, when, showing early promise, he was chosen by the Canadian National Hockey Association to take part in a summer camp at the University of Alberta. 

In his junior career, Stu was a major scoring sensation with the Western Hockey League's New Westminster Bruins and Tri-City Americans, winning the Jim Piggot Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year in 1987-88 and the WHL Player of the Year in 1988-89. In the 1989 NHL entry draft, Stu was drafted 4th overall by the Winnipeg Jets. In December 1990, he played for the Canadian National Junior Hockey team, where he and his teammates won a gold medal for Canada in Helsinki, Finland. 

In 1993, the Winnipeg Jets traded Stu to the Florida Panthers, where he went to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to lose to the Colorado Avalanche. Then in 1996, the Panthers traded Stu to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 1999, he was traded again to the Buffalo Sabres. In Buffalo, he went to the finals again, this time against the Dallas Stars, only to lose on a triple-overtime goal. He served as the captain for the Sabres before being traded to Dallas in 2002-03 where he helped the team win a division title. 

In his first game for Dallas, Barnes had to be reassured that the fans were not booing him because of his status as a former Buffalo Sabre. They were, in fact, yelling "Stu" whenever he touched the puck. 

Here are some of Stu’s milestones. He won the Prince of Wales Trophy in 1996 in the Eastern Conference final with the Florida Panthers. He repeated this feat in 1998 with the Buffalo Sabres. In the 1997-98 season, he scored 30 goals, had 35 assists and earned 65 points, a career high. In 2001, Stuart was named the assistant captain of the Sabres, and helped lead the team to win more games than ever in a single season. That same season he won the Punch Imlach Award for his dedication and leadership. He won the same award the next year when he was named captain of the Sabres. He played in his 1,000th NHL game in 2005-06 with the Dallas Stars, his fifth NHL team. Only 212 players have ever reached that goal. Currently playing centre for the Dallas Stars, Stu continues to be a commanding force on the ice. 

Stuart Barnes has been and continues to be, an outstanding ambassador for Spruce Grove. His contributions to the game of hockey extend further than just our city limits. Stu’s integrity, dedication and love for the game are an inspiration to our community. He is a role model of what hard work and determination can accomplish.