Bowen Byram, 16, second in D-man playoff scoring
Young defenceman’s play key as Giants hold 3-2 lead over Victoria in opening round of playoffs
— We’ll turn this latest scouting report on Vancouver Giants rookie defenceman Bowen Byram over to teammate Ty Ronning.
“It’s definitely something crazy. He’s kind of an alien sometimes,” Ronning, an overage right-winger, said following Byram’s two-goal effort in Vancouver’s 5-3 road win over the Victoria Royals on Saturday that gave the Giants a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven, opening-round playoff series. “I’m not surprised anymore, though, because I see how hard he plays day in, day out. And he does the same stuff in practice.”
Byram has rarely looked like a 16-year-old newcomer all season. He was playing top-pairing minutes in Vancouver’s first home game, a 6-1 loss to the Royals on Sept. 23. He’s remained one of the busiest Giants in terms of ice time all year, and will likely continue that trend Monday, as Vancouver hosts Victoria in a Game 6 tilt (2 p.m., TSN 1410) that could bring the club its first playoff series win since 2010.
As of Sunday morning, Byram was the second-leading playoff scorer among defencemen in the WHL, thanks to his six points, including three goals. Calen Addison of the Lethbridge Hurricanes had a onepoint lead on him.
And before you tag Byram as some flashy offensive talent who’s a nightmare in his own zone, the Giants use him frequently on the penalty kill and regularly late in periods with the lead. He’s listed at 6-feet, 176 pounds and you rarely see him get overpowered in the corners or the front of the net, despite his age.
“He’s a special player,” said Giants coach Jason McKee. “He’s shown that throughout the year and he’s only getting better and better. The bigger the game, the better he plays.
“That’s what makes him great — he has that low panic threshold. He’s able to make plays under pressure. The moment doesn’t get too big for him. All great players have that. He seems to be well on his way in regards to that.”
Team captain Tyler Benson, a left-winger, added: “He’s unbelievable. The way he skates the puck up the ice with such confidence, the way he can create the play. He’s a great player. We’re lucky to have him.”
Byram is in the conversation for best 16-year-old player the Giants have ever had, with the likes of Benson, Evander Kane, Gilbert Brule and maybe a couple of others. The Cranbrook native, whose dad Shawn Byram played a handful of games in the NHL with the New York Islanders and the Chicago Blackhawks before a lengthy stint in the European pro ranks, is also getting some hype as a possible early pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
The Giants have only had four first-rounders in their history. Kane holds the team mark for top selection after going fourth overall to the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009.
Byram is the WHL’s Western Conference nominee for league rookie of the year after amassing 27 points, including six goals, in 60 regular-season games. For comparison, Jon Blum, who is regarded as one of the greatest Giants ever, had 24 points, including seven goals, in 61 regular-season games as a 16-yearold in 2005-06.
Hurricanes forward Dylan Cozens, who turned 17 in February, is the Eastern Conference nominee against Byram. Cozens had 53 points, including 22 goals, in 57 games.
The Giants haven’t had a player win the league rookie of the year since Brule accomplished it in 200304.
The Giants haven’t won a playoff series since beating a Portland Winterhawks team featuring the likes of Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter and Luca Sbisa in the second round of those 2010 playoffs in six games. Vancouver would go on to lose the Western Conference final to the TriCity Americans in six.
Vancouver swept the Kamloops Blazers in the first round that spring.
That Giants team featured the likes of Craig Cunningham, Brendan Gallagher, Lance Bouma, James Henry and Neil Manning.
Vancouver was swept by the Americans in the first round in 2011, lost in six games to the Spokane Chiefs in the first round in 2012, and, after failing to qualify in 2013, were swept by the Portland Winterhawks in the first round in 2014. They had missed the post-season the last three springs heading into this one.