bˈɑːɹtʃəliz wʌzɐ wˈɪŋɡɚ ænd dˈɪdnt stˈɑːɹt plˈeɪɪŋ dᵻfˈɛns ʌntˈɪl hiː wʌz dɹˈæftᵻd twˈɛnti sˈɛvənθ ˌoʊvɚɹˈɔːl baɪ ðə mˈɔŋktən wˈaɪldkæts ɪnðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈoːɹ kɐnˈeɪdiən hˈɑːki lˈiːɡ sˌiːˌeɪtʃˈɛl jˌʊɹɹəpˈiən dɹˈæft.
Bārtulis was a winger and didn't start playing defence until he was drafted 27th overall by the Moncton Wildcats in the 2004 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) European Draft.