Why Paul Byron’s NHL Path Will Aid Him In Habs Player Development Role
Very few players drafted in the later rounds of the NHL Entry Draft carve out a role in the league. The odds are stacked against you, and there is no substitute for hard work and mental toughness. Two things that a 5’9” Ottawa, Ontario boy, with a belly full of fire and mental resiliency that few could emulate, knows all about.
Paul Byron didn’t have anything come easy to him, and during his junior career, he was playing in Junior B, a level that is generally the end of the road for many young hockey players. Barring a scout having their socks knocked off during a viewing -Junior A, Major Junior and the college rankings- don’t put much effort into scouting less talented players. Byron, however, was a rare case, and his tenacity was one of his stand-out traits, which would ultimately prove very important for his hockey future.
Byron stated in a recent farewell letter to the fans and hockey world that he was left with no choice but to retire. But that wasn’t all that he addressed. He took the time to give a huge thank you to the Gatineau Olympiques organization (Benoit Groulx and Charlie Henry) for taking a chance on an undersized winger. He stressed the importance of a conversation he had had with both gentlemen and how it forever changed his life.
He would go on to play a successful Major Junior career with the Olympiques, playing 184 games over three seasons. His 91 goals and 120 assists caught the eye of the Buffalo Sabres brass, and they decided to give Byron the one chance he needed to prove himself as an NHL player, drafting him in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft. After two strong seasons in the American Hockey League with the Portland Pirates and a handful of games with the Sabres, he was dealt to the Calgary Flames.
Over the next four seasons, Byron split time between the NHL with the Flames and the AHL with the Abbotsford Heat, putting up respectable numbers. Those four years proved vital for him, as he was able to get his footing in the league and establish himself as a full-time NHLer. Something that he credits Bob Hartley for, as he facilitated the trade to bring Byron to Calgary.
He didn’t know it at the time, but the beginning of the next step of his career was coming, and it started in a rather gloomy way, with him being placed on waivers in October 2015. One of the NHL’s most storied franchises claimed him off of waivers, and he remains to this day one of the best waiver additions in Montreal Canadiens history. Marc Bergevin took a chance on the diminutive forward, and Byron proved him right in a huge way.
Over his seven seasons in the Canadiens organization, he did it all. If anything was needed, Byron was over the boards and on the ice doing it at a moment’s notice. His speed was a constant threat on the penalty kill, and late in games, if a defender mishandled a puck, it could end up in the back of his net almost certainly. He wore an A on his jersey with pride for his final four seasons with the Canadiens, and one of the biggest goals of his career came during game one of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs when he won a foot race and fired a perfect shot while on his knees, past Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell, enshrining himself as a clutch performer.
With the recent announcement of his retirement also came the announcement that he would continue his career with the Canadiens organization. The Ottawa native agreed to a role in the Canadiens’ player development staff. Something that a player who has overcome so much should be able to leave a significant impact on players, one that gives each player insight into how important it is to never give up on yourself.
The Canadiens are building a new ideology, and one thing that is certain is having former players who had to battle for every minute they played on NHL ice was a high priority for the organization. Both Martin St. Louis and Byron earned everything in a difficult fashion. These two very different paths led to the best league in the world as a result of dedication, resiliency and a never-dying work ethic. Adding the 34-year-old to the Habs staff was a natural fit; it shows that the most skill in the world is no substitution for doing the dirty work, and showing up consistently can make all the difference.
Number 41 will never hang from the Bell Centre rafters, but that doesn’t matter, the Canadiens brass know how important he was as a player. And that is precisely why they inked him to a player development role before he hit waivers again and made another team look brilliant. Lord Byron is all heart, and that is something that the Canadiens rebuild will benefit from having in the fold.
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