Paul Byron set to retire from the NHL, seeks position with Montreal Canadiens

Long-time NHL veteran Paul Byron is set to retire from the NHL. He last played for the Montreal Canadiens during the 2021-22 season, when he scored seven points in 27 games. Byron has played for the Canadiens for much of the last decade and became a fan favourite.

He was originally selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the sixth-round of the 2007 NHL Draft and spent his junior years with the Gatineau Olympiques, just across the river from his hometown in Ottawa. He began his development in the Sabres’ system but was traded to the Calgary Flames in the 2011 offseason along with Chris Butler for Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik, and a second-round pick.

Byron wasn’t able to become a long-term part of the Flames’ organisation and he was picked up on waivers by the Canadiens right before the start of the 2015-16 season. From 2017-2019, Byron played the best hockey of his career, averaging 21 goals per 82 games. However, his career took a downturn shortly after when he dealt with a number of injuries, including one to his hip.

He never regained the form he once had but did manage to play nearly a full season in 2020-21 when the Canadiens made a surprise run to the Stanley Cup finals, he scored six points in 22 playoff games. Byron will join the Canadiens staff in some capacity in the near future.

Byron played 521 NHL games between the Canadiens, Sabres, and Flames, scoring 98 goals and 208 points.