Goatheads add Wood and Barbashev as inaugural roster nears half-capacity

The New Mexico Goatheads have signed forward Briley Wood and winger Maxim Barbashev, bringing their first-year roster to eight players before the Oct. 16 season opener.

The inaugural New Mexico Goatheads are approaching the midway point of constructing their 20-player roster ahead of an Oct. 16 launch at the Rio Rancho Events Center. The franchise confirmed the signing of forward Briley Wood, a 23-year-old Canadian who logged 10 goals and 22 assists for the Rapid City Rush and 20 goals with the Utah Grizzlies, as well as left-winger Maxim Barbashev, a 22-year-old Russian who notched nine goals and 12 assists in 50 ECHL contests last season.

Barbashev is the younger brother of Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev and has split time between the Allen Americans, Utah Grizzlies, and the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, where Goatheads coach Zack Stortini was an assistant. Both newcomers have also appeared in a handful of AHL games with the Colorado Eagles and Tucson Roadrunners. Their additions raise the squad to eight players, with the league permitting up to 20 after the first month of play. The team, an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, seeks to revive professional hockey in New Mexico after nearly two decades.