Giants’ defenceman, Byram, emerging as top prospect for 2019 NHL draft
VANCOUVER — Minutes after he was drafted by the Washington Capitals last year, Alex Kannok Leipert got a call from his best friend and Vancouver Giants teammate.
Bowen Byram simply couldn’t contain his excitement, Kannok Leipert said.
“I didn’t hear much,” he said with a laugh. “He was just screaming.”
Now Kannok Leipert is hoping to repay the favour. Byram is poised to be the first defenceman picked at this year’s NHL draft in Vancouver.
“He was the first person who called me, actually, when I was drafted. So hopefully I can be the first for him,” said Kannok Leipert. “But probably not. He’ll be pretty busy.”
Byram is already busy capturing attention around the Western Hockey League and beyond.
Now in his second season with the Giants, the 17-year-old native of Cranbrook has developed a reputation not only for his work on the blue line, but his play-making prowess and deadly shot, too. He’s second on the team in scoring, tallying 51 points across 51 games, and his 21 goals lead all WHL defencemen.
Byram was named the league’s player of the month for January after he had 10 goals and nine assists in 13 games.
The performance isn’t surprising to Michael Dyck. The Giants head coach knows the burgeoning rearguard better than most — his family is friends with Byram’s and he first started coaching the young athlete about seven years ago, initially in summer hockey, then with a championship-winning bantam team in Lethbridge, Alta.
Byram has always been an elite player, but the way he’s consistently raised his game level by level is unique, Dyck said.
“He plays with an edge. He’s a highly competitive kid. He’s always on his toes. He’s one of those guys where, if anything, we’ve got to pull the reins back a bit, which is a good thing as opposed to having to prod somebody,” he said, noting that Byram’s good on both sides of the puck.
“He can skate, he can think, he can make plays, he’s a 200-foot player.”
Byram’s work ethic and attitude are infectious, Kannok Leipert said of his defence partner.
“You can tell, as soon as he walks into the room, he’s there to make everyone better,” said the 18-yearold Giants defenceman. “It’s pretty special to see. It rubs off definitely on everyone. He’s pretty special.”
Byram excels in clutch situations, as evidenced on Wednesday when he netted the game-winner 57 seconds into overtime — giving the Giants their third victory in a row.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound teen likes model his game after players like Morgan Rielly, a 24-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman and Vancouver native, who has a career-high 53 points this season, tallying 14 goals and 39 assists.
“(Rielly’s) kind of the new-wave defenceman in the NHL. And he’s been having a great year, so that’s who I like to think of,” Byram said.
Giants general manager Barclay Parneta said he wasn’t at all surprised that Byram was ranked fourth among North American skaters and the top overall defenceman in the league’s latest scouting report.
“He’s that good,” said Parneta, who spent seven years scouting for NHL teams.
Being recognized as a talented player is “cool,” but playing hockey comes first, Byram said.
“I’m not too worried about all the press and whatnot. I’m just trying to help the Vancouver Giants win games,” he said. “I’m not a selfish guy. Winning’s the best feeling in the world.”