Barry Cullen was one of three brothers to play in the NHL, along with Brian and Ray. Like his siblings, Cullen came up through the ranks of junior playing with the St. Catharines Teepees of the OHA, winners of the 1954 Memorial Cup. In 1954-55, he played in 49 games with the Teepees, scoring 45 goals and 87 points.
In 1955-56, at the age of 20, Cullen played in 67 games with the Winnipeg Warriors of the Western Hockey League, scoring 38 goals and 34 assists for 72 points. He dressed for three games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was not until 1956-57 when Cullen managed to crack the Leafs' roster on a full-time basis, playing in 51 games, scoring six goals and 16 points. The following year, he more than doubled that output, scoring 16 goals and 25 assists for 41 points in 70 games. In 1958-59, Cullen was limited to just 40 games and his production tailed off to just 14 points.
In 1959-60, Cullen joined the Detroit Red Wings for 55 games, scoring four goals and 13 points. Cullen was never on a Stanley Cup champion team during his five years in the league. For that to have happened he would have had to have played with the Montreal Canadiens, who were Stanley Cup champs each of the five years Cullen was in the league.
Cullen and his brothers have gone to successful careers in the automotive industry. Barry Cullen's brother Brian started in the business after retiring from hockey at 29 and now owns his own dealership.
Cullen's son John kept the Cullen name in the NHL hockey news during the 1980s and 1990s, playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.
