The Week That Was – Byfield goes Hollywood
Each week, CHL.ca goes coast to coast to highlight the top stories from around the league.
Byfield’s big debut
Chalk it up as the latest accomplishment for Quinton Byfield.
Making his NHL debut with the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, a longtime dream became a reality for the second overall selection from the 2020 NHL Draft who wrapped up the special night with nearly 18 minutes in ice time while registering a team-high four shots on goal.
“It is definitely a very exciting day. I wish I could have shared it with my family, but I know they are super proud of me,” Byfield told reporters postgame. “I had a lot of support behind me tonight and I just wanted to go into the game with confidence.
“The pace was definitely quite faster. You are playing against the best players in the world. You have to get up to speed on that and make some more plays … There are a couple of learning lessons in there.”
"It's definitely a very exciting day. I wish I could've shared it with my family, but I know they're super proud of me."
Quinton Byfield after his @NHL debut ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/sResiYVIYO
— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 29, 2021
Byfield has since made three more appearances with Los Angeles, a four-game run that comes after spending the earlier portion of the year with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ top minor-league affiliate. With the Reign, the 18-year-old Byfield made a solid impression in his first season in the pro ranks, collecting eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points through 30 games, good for second in team scoring at the time of his recall to the big club.
“I thought (Quinton) contributed to a lot of offensive chances (in his debut),” added Kings head coach and former Swift Current Broncos bench boss Todd McLellan. “He was good in the circle and he had a pretty good idea and understanding of the structure and how we wanted to play. Overall, definitely a passing grade for him, he was probably one of our better players.”
Originally chosen first overall by Sudbury in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, Byfield spent the next two seasons with the Wolves, tallying 143 points in 109 career contests highlighted by CHL Rookie of the Year honours in 2018-19.
Favreau takes the reigns
There is a new sheriff in town in Halifax.
Appointed the 13th head coach in franchise history, the Halifax Mooseheads announced Wednesday the hiring of Sylvain Favreau, following the dismissal of J.J. Daigneault in late April.
Favreau, 43, brings a unique vantage point to the position, having been an assistant coach with the Mooseheads for the past four seasons. The Orleans, Ont., native last served as a head coach in 2016-17 while part of the Central Canada Hockey League, while he has also held head and assistant capacities with Team Canada in international competition.
Big Announcement:
Sylvain Favreau named Mooseheads Head Coach.
Details-> https://t.co/BaQxz4oPhi | #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/Z9kfZ6bpsu
— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) April 28, 2021
“Sylvain has been here for a number of years now and it was only a matter of time before he became a head coach,” Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell said in a statement. “We feel this is the perfect time for Sylvain and that he is the right fit for this young and talented group.”
Added Favreau, “I am extremely excited for the opportunity to coach the Mooseheads. I have gained some valuable experience with the team over the past four seasons, especially during our run to the President’s Cup and Memorial Cup Final in 2019. I plan to use structure, discipline, and strong communication to put my stamp on this young team on the rise. I am looking forward to growing alongside our players and turning this team into a contender.”
The Mooseheads closed out the 2020-21 campaign in fourth place in the QMJHL’s Maritimes Division, owning a 15-19-5-4 showing, good for 39 points, while seeing strong performances from key building blocks like Philadelphia Flyers prospect Elliot Desnoyers as well as a pair of 2021 NHL Draft hopefuls in fellow forwards Zachary L’Heureux and Robert Orr.
Guenther shining under Canada spotlight
Dylan Guenther has gone international.
Following a dominant 12-game stint with the Edmonton Oil Kings in which he tallied a team-leading 24 points prior to heading to Texas to take part in the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, Guenther has only continued his prolific offensive showing with the Great White North, producing seven points counting four goals and three assists through five tournament games.
“Things are going pretty well. We got off to a good start in our first few games,” Guenther told Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun. “I know it is a big tournament. Everyone knows it is important. This is kind of the last showcase for the draft.
“For me personally, I am just focusing on my game. That is my mindset day in and day out; just try to go to the rink and get better every day and work as hard as you can. That is kind of how I have been taking this whole process.”
#OilKings forward Dylan Guenther scored twice as @HockeyCanada cruised past the Czechs 10-3 today in the #U18Worlds quarterfinal round! He now has 4 goals & 3 assists in 5 games. pic.twitter.com/NuDt8ObBcq
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) May 4, 2021
A projected early first-round selection in the upcoming NHL Draft, Guenther brings intriguing qualities as a budding winger who has been a consistent scoring threat since being chosen atop the 2018 WHL Draft. Seeing an eight-game trial with the Oil Kings later that season, Guenther then parlayed that experience into an excellent freshman campaign in which he scored north of a point-per-game with 26 goals and 33 assists through 58 appearances and was later recognized as the WHL Rookie of the Year.
In the interim, the Edmonton native has returned to the international spotlight, with his latest showing coming as an encore to a six-game, three-goal set with Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
“I think whenever you get the opportunity to play for Team Canada, you wear the jersey with pride and it is a huge honour,” Guenther added. “It is everyone’s childhood dream to wear that logo and represent your country at a tournament like this. That is something that I do not take for granted and I am super fortunate to be able to do.”