Before making his NHL debut Bartel played for the Canadian national team at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Bartel played three seasons of Junior hockey with the Prince Albert Raiders spanning 1979–1982,[1] winning two national championships in his final two years.

A stay-at-home defender, Bartel played at the University of Saskatchewan and won a CIAU National Championship, now known as the David Johnston University Cup, before joining the Canadian National Team for the 1983–84 season and representing Canada at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Bartel signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks for the 1986–87 season and stuck with the team as a depth defender, appearing in 40 games and recording a single assist.

He played two games in the American Hockey League with the St. John's Maple Leafs during the 1993–94 AHL season.