Leader of the future emerges for Giants
Rookie defenceman Byram has been displaying the poise and ability of a captain in the making
When you’re watching him on the ice, you can sometimes forget that Bowen Byram is just 16 years old. The same thing often happens when you listen to him speak.
Byram, the rookie defenceman who has been one of the Vancouver Giants’ better players this season, despite also being one of their youngest, came off like a seasoned veteran when talk turned recently to leadership groups moving forward with the WHL club.
Team captain Tyler Benson is expected to play next year in the Edmonton Oilers’ farm system, rather than return for his 20-yearold season with Vancouver, since he’s already signed a contract with the NHL club.
Alternate captains Ty Ronning and Darian Skeoch both graduate from the WHL at the end of this campaign.
Matt Barberis, who also has been wearing an ‘A’ for Vancouver this season, is expected back next year as a 20-year-old. But there will be multiple leadership positions up for grabs in 2018-19.
Byram has profile, and he comes across as an outgoing, engaging type. The Giants haven’t been shy about putting letters on their younger players, evidenced by them giving a 17-year-old Benson the ‘C’ in the 2015-16 season.
“Next fall, do I have an ‘A’ on my jersey? I don’t have any expectations of that,” said Byram, who is getting some buzz as a possible early first rounder in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. “I take pride in my leadership, being a vocal guy on and off the ice, and keeping the tempo up. But that (having a letter on his jersey) isn’t something I’m going to worry about. We have a lot of guys in our room who are leaders . ...
“Do I want to be part of the leadership group? Of course. Everyone does. But it’s not really my choice. I’m doing whatever I can, though, to work my way up to that one day.”
Byram did admit to feeling he’s had to show more leadership recently, though, with four defencemen
injured and call-ups Joel Sexsmith, 15, and Parker Hendren, 16, likely to be manning the Vancouver blue line for the next while.
“It’s pretty cool to see them, because I know I was in that same position last year,” said Byram, a Cranbrook native who was Vancouver’s first pick, third overall, in
the 2016 bantam draft. He played 11 games as a call-up last season.
“It’s really good for you to get some games in the league and get your head at that level. I think it really helps you prepare for coming into training camp the next year and trying to make the team.”
Normally, with a 16-year-old rookie
defenceman, you would be talking about having to increase his role with four regulars on the blue line lost to injury. But the 6-foot, 176-pound Byram is among the team leaders in ice time already, playing in the vicinity of 23 minutes a game, said general manager Glen Hanlon.
“His consistency continues to
impress me,” Hanlon said of Byram, who had six goals, 12 assists and a plus-three rating in 44 games heading into Vancouver’s game in Portland on Wednesday night.
“That’s usually the telltale sign of a kid’s ability.”