The metallic blue Buick careened down the cold South Side Chicago streets. Suspects in a drive-by shooting, Jerry Dean and Joseph Chambers were not focused on anything but escaping the law. With their minds elsewhere, they didn’t see Curtis Speed crossing the street on his way from a dance at Robert Black South Elementary School. Without slowing down, the Buick struck the 11-year-old, dragging him half a block into an almost empty school bus. No skid marks were left.

Curtis Speed was killed on Feb. 18, 1995. When Scott Barrera, forward for the Illinois hockey team, dons the No. 73, he is representing much more than himself.

Although he never played hockey with Speed — Barrera is five years younger than him — he wears Curtis’ number to commemorate his life.

But the tribute began with Barrera’s older brother, Joe, in mourning of Curtis’ passing.

Joe was the captain of the hockey team that Speed played for in 1994-95. Joe said the leadership position was a big deal at the time, so he took it upon himself to take Speed’s number the following season to keep the memory of his late teammate alive.

“When you’re at that age and you’re appointed captain, it’s a big deal and you try to be a leader in different ways,” Joe said. “Everyone respected my decision.”

Five years older than Scott, Joe was the first Barrera to lace up the skates and play hockey. Looking up to his brother, 5-year-old Scott would tag along to Joe’s 8 a.m. practices, piquing his interest in the sport.

“Growing up, for a little while, I was better than (Scott) mainly because I was older,” Joe said. “It quickly became apparent that he had a special talent. … He basically took it and ran with it.”

Scott escalated through the hockey ranks, eventually playing for travel squad Team Illinois at 16. It was at this time he joined his brother, in dedication to Curtis’ memory, in wearing 73 for the first time.

The number never left. Scott took the number with him while playing junior hockey in Wasilla, Alaska, and back to Springfield where he played on the Junior Blues.

While uncommitted to a university while playing for the Junior Blues in 2008-09, then-Illinois assistant coach Nick Fabbrini, who had known Joe since his freshman year of high school, reached out to his Fenwick High School acquaintance, Joe, about his brother’s future plans.

Using his family connection, Fabbrini contacted Scott and encouraged him to consider playing for Illinois.

“When I was playing juniors, you talk to whatever schools,” Scott said. “I had never thought of Illinois as an opportunity because of my grades.”

Needing to improve his academics, Scott’s path to Illini hockey started at Parkland College.

While attending the community college, Scott approached then-Illinois head coach Chad Cassel about his desire to continue to honor Curtis’ memory — something that had become a family tradition. Cassel’s custom with numbers was to have one through 32 in stock and not make exceptions on a whim. This was the first time wearing No. 73 had been in jeopardy for Scott.

After explaining the story to the coach, Cassel offered Scott a deal.

“I said, ‘Yeah, that wouldn’t be a problem as long as he got straight-As at Parkland,’” Cassel said. “And he did, so he was able to get the number. He also told me the story on why he wanted the number as well, but I threw that back at him and he was able to do it.”

Scott has made the most of his opportunity playing in orange and blue. He posted 20 and 32 points in his first two years, respectively. As a senior this year, he is an assistant captain and is tied for the team lead in points.

Scott has worn No. 73 for the majority of his playing career at Illinois, the only exception being earlier this season. With Fabbrini taking over as the new head coach, the team ordered new jerseys. Unfortunately, they were stuck on backorder, and the replacement orange jerseys didn’t have Barrera’s No. 73. From the beginning of the season, Scott wore 28 until the toughest game of the year against No. 2 Ohio.

“It felt better, it felt like myself,” Barrera said. “It felt weird putting on a number that you know isn’t yours.”

Along with the comfort of wearing his own number, Barrera was comfortable on the ice, scoring two goals in front of the home crowd in a 5-0 upset victory over the Bobcats.

Scott isn’t the only Barrera still wearing 73. His dad and Joe both sport the number for their respective Chicago Police hockey teams. While the Barrera family has never forgotten about Speed, the number has taken on a significant meaning within the family.

Separated by 150 miles of Illinois cornfields, the family is connected by the common number they all represent. Taking the lesson from Speed over 17 years ago, Joe and his dad patrol the same dangerous streets that prematurely claimed the life of the 11-year-old. It represents a hard truth that life is fragile, especially for those constantly in the line of fire.

“It encompasses a lot of feelings such as how we might not be here tomorrow,” Joe said. “Life is very precious. It also just represents family. It is kind of like our family crest now.”

That symbol isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Both Joe and Scott plan to continue the tradition with their future families by passing the number to their children.

“If they didn’t want to wear it, well we’ll have to have a talk,” Joe said. “I think it is something that I will hold in importance, and they will see that as they grow up.”

“I’ll force my son to wear it,” Scott said. “He won’t have a choice.”

Stephen can be reached at [email protected] and @steve_bourbon. Patrick can be reached at [email protected] and @_PatrickKelley_.