Eli Barnett grew up playing hockey in his home country of Canada, residing in Ottawa, Ontario for much of his childhood. After playing with the Moncton Hawks and the Notre Dame Hounds, Eli joined the Hillside in 2018 and played there for two years. As a defenseman for the 15U and 16U teams, Barnett tallied 13 goals and 29 assists in 105 games, setting himself up for a bright future in hockey.
Following his time at South Kent, Barnett went on to play junior hockey for the South Shore Lumberjacks and the Victoria Grizzlies through the spring of 2023. While he was in the junior hockey circuit, Barnett was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 7th round (195 overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft.
All of his hard work led him to signing a Division I scholarship with the Vermont University Catamounts, as he is currently in his freshman year. Eli Barnett made his collegiate debut on October 13 in a 3-1 win vs. St Lawrence, and he tallied his first collegiate points on December 8 against Union College, totaling two assists.