Cranbrook’s Bowen Byram has signed an entry-level contract with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche as part of a standard three-year agreement with rookie prospects.
Drafted 4th overall on June 21st in Vancouver at the 2019 NHL Draft, Byram and the Avalanche made the three-year contract official on Friday.
The Vancouver Giants defenseman had 71 points in 67 games last season, leading all WHL defenders with 26 goals while also tacking on 45 assists.
In the playoffs, Byram had 26 points in 22 games, leading the entire WHL and becoming the first defenseman to lead the league in postseason scoring.
Byram will be at Colorado’s training camp, hoping to crack the roster as an 18-year-old.
“I definitely have my work cut out for me but I am confident in myself, confident in my abilities,” Byram told the WHL Network. “I know I have to get better, too. It is going to be a challenge, but I am ready for it.
“I have got to get bigger, stronger, faster,” added Byram. “I have to shore up little details in my game, but the way I look at it, everyone has to get better, everyone has to fix things. I have to work extremely hard to put myself in a good spot.”
If Byram doesn’t stick with the Avalanche for the 2019/2020 season, he would return to the Vancouver Giants for this third full WHL season. In his WHL career, Byram has 98 points (32G, 66A) in 138 games.