WHL rivals Byram, Smith bond as NHL dreams near
You could understand if Bowen Byram and Ty Smith wanted to duck each other in the off-season.
Byram became a regular with the Vancouver Giants three seasons ago and was immediately linked to Smith, the Spokane Chiefs rearguard who is a year older and already well on his way to becoming a standard-bearer for defencemen in the WHL.
Through it all, they’ve actually become buddies. They were teammates with the Canadian team at the under-18 worlds two summers ago and shared time on the Canadian blue-line again at the world juniors this past winter. This summer, they’re part of the same training group at Planet Ice Delta, under the watchful eye of Delta Hockey Academy president Ian Gallagher and his crew.
Byram was the fourth overall pick in last summer’s NHL draft, going to the Colorado Avalanche. Smith was a 2018 first-round selection, chosen at No. 17 by the New Jersey Devils. He’s won the past two WHL defencemen of the year honours.
“People compare us in the western league, saying who they think is better and who’s this and who’s that. It doesn’t bother us at all,” explained Smith, 20, who’s from Saskatoon but whose ties with Delta Academy date back to playing his bantam draft season for them in 2014-15.
“I feel like I was one of the bigger influences on him coming here to train. I was on him. You can’t deny the set-up here or the people they have working here.
“You’re always trying to get better. Bo and I will be in the gym and we’ll say, ‘Are you getting better today?’ Bo will always walk out of here saying, ‘I know I got better today,’ and that’s part of what makes it fun being here.”
The Devils’ season is complete. They aren’t a part of the NHL’s rebooted 24-team playoffs. Colorado is in that mix, and Byram says that he’s had a “couple of conversations” with them about whether he might be a part of their expanded post-season roster, one of their extra players.
“They don’t know everything’s that happening just yet,” said Byram, 19.
At a glance, Byram looks bigger and stronger. He is listing himself at 205 pounds, after carrying 192 pounds on his six-foot-one frame last season. He could well be a regular as a 19-year-old defenceman in the NHL next season, whenever next season might be.
“I’m just trying to stay in shape, get stronger, get faster,” said Byram, who’s from Cranbrook. “It’s been a hard time. It’s nice to be back in a gym.”
He played arguably his best hockey as a Giant the month or so before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the WHL season. That’s a heady statement, considering he set a team record for goals by a defenceman (26) in the 2018-19 regular season and led all players in WHL playoff scoring that spring.
Smith is chasing a full-time spot with the Devils this coming season as well. He had 19 goals and 59 points in 46 games with Spokane last season, to go along with an eye-popping plus-49 rating.
He would be age eligible to play minor pro. Byram would have to come back to the WHL if he doesn’t stick in the NHL.
“If we’re both fortunate to play this coming season (in the NHL) and we got to play each other, it would be a cool night,” Smith said. “It would be pretty special.”