2018-19 Sherwin-Williams Top Prospect Award Finalists
Vancouver Giants defenceman Bowen Byram, Hamilton Bulldogs left-wing Arthur Kaliyev, and Halifax Mooseheads right-wing Raphael Lavoie are the 2019 finalists for the Sherwin-Williams Top Prospect Award.
Catch #NHLDraft talent in the 2019 @Rogers #WHLChampionship Series!
Bowen Byram of @WHLGiants is 2nd among NA skaters for good reason. https://t.co/9cAoa7Bvvy
— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 3, 2019
Central Scouting’s second-ranked North American skater ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft, Byram continued to draw attention through the Western Hockey League postseason, guiding the Giants to Game 7 of the Ed Chynoweth Cup Final.
In 22 postseason appearances, Byram collected eight goals and 18 assists for a team-leading 26 points that also sat atop the WHL in playoff scoring. Earlier this season, Byram was recognized as the CHL Player of the Week following a franchise record-setting performance when he put up five points in a single game.
Byram finished the 2018-19 regular season with 71 points in 67 contests, including his 26 goals that ranked first among all WHL blue-liners. Over part of three seasons with Vancouver, the product of Cranbrook, B.C., has recorded 32 goals and 66 assists for 98 points in 138 games.
The Giants selected Byram with the third-overall selection in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.
2019 Final #NHLDraft Rankings:
48 #OHL players listed by @NHLCentralScout including Kaliyev, Harley, Tomasino, Robertson, Suzuki inside Top-20.
FULL LIST 📋: https://t.co/tqu1KYe7F0 pic.twitter.com/6Xpnpvjgth
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 15, 2019
In the OHL, Kaliyev wrapped up the 2018-19 campaign with a team-leading 102 points in 67 games, including 51 goals, as he was one of just six OHL skaters to break the 50-goal plateau. In the postseason, he added one more marker in a four-game quarter-final matchup versus the Ottawa 67’s.
The Sherwin-Williams Top Prospect Award would mark the latest accolade for Kaliyev, who won the J. Ross Robertson Cup with the Bulldogs last season and was later named to the OHL Second All-Rookie Team. Across two OHL seasons, Kaliyev has registered 82 goals and 68 assists for 150 points in 135 games.
To begin 2019, Kaliyev was named the CHL Player of the Week after he registered seven goals and four assists in only four games. The native of Staten Island, N.Y., ranks seventh among North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final report.
The Bulldogs selected Kaliyev with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.
Voted as the league’s top professional prospect, it’s Raphaël Lavoie of the @HFXMooseheads who will have his name added on the Mike-Bossy Trophy this season! #GoldenPuck pic.twitter.com/IkecrbPqU5
— QMJHL (@QMJHL) April 4, 2019
After missing the cut-off date for last year’s NHL draft by 10 days, Lavoie has used his added time in the minors by continuing to woo talent evaluators.
Following a 2018-19 campaign in which he finished just shy of a point-per-game pace, Lavoie turned heads in the postseason as he led the QMJHL in playoff goal scoring with 20 tallies, just 12 short of his regular season total. His best stretch came in early April when he netted six goals and three assists for nine points in four appearances, earning CHL Player of the Week honours. In all, Lavoie’s playoff play helped guide the Mooseheads to the President’s Cup Final. Additionally, as part of the host squad, he will compete in the 2019 Memorial Cup presented by Kia.
A product of Chambly, Que., Lavoie ranks 20th among North American skaters ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft per Central Scouting’s final report. Across three seasons with the Mooseheads, Lavoie has collected 68 goals and 77 assists for 145 points in 162 contests.
The Mooseheads chose Lavoie with the 29th overall selection in the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft.