Vancouver native Barry Beck was a No. 2 overall pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 1977 NHL Amature Draft. He was talented, but his size and stature made him more of a trade commodity while playing for a bad team.
Following the 1978-79 season, a campaign that saw the New York Rangers advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Blueshirts were looking for a strong blueliner. Needless to say, hopes were high of making another run towards the Cup.
In November 1979, general manager Fred Shero executed a trade with the Rockies. It was a huge deal by the Rangers, which sent Pat Hickey, Lucien DeBlois, Mike McEwen, Bobby Sheehan, Dean Turner, and future considerations (Bobby Crawford) to Colorado for the left-handed defenseman.