Earlier this month it was revealed that Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron would be hanging up the skates.
In a recent interview on the Raw Knuckles podcast with fellow former Habs player Chris Nilan, the 33-year-old reflected on his pro career and his seven-season stint in Montreal.
Byron still recalls the feeling he got when the Canadiens claimed him off waivers from the Calgary Flames back in 2015.
“I couldn’t be any happier to get the news on the phone that we were going to Montreal. I mean, even now, my heart races. I get goosebumps thinking about it a little bit.”
When the subject of the Habs’ surprising run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final came up, Byron revealed how hard he and some of his teammates took the heartbreaking loss.
“It’s a hard trophy to win. And I think a lot of guys, looking back now, we were in a low, like we were in a depression maybe,” he said. “I know I certainly was.”
“You dream your whole life about that moment,” he added.
The Ottawa native also touched on the difficulties of playing at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People have no idea like what that COVID year was like, like the sacrifice we all made for that year, that run, having to kind of live in isolation all year… getting tested every day, your family getting tested,” he said. “You’re in the playoffs — the pressure of like, are you going to be the guy that like ruins your team’s chance to win the Cup? It was mentally exhausting for everybody.”
Shortly after that season, the Canadiens went into rebuild mode, making a variety of additions and subtractions in both the locker room and front office. Byron, who has confidence in the new administration that includes GM Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis, said some left for reasons of burnout.
“We’ve had staff that ended up leaving… people taking leaves of absence for burnout and stuff,” he explained. “So to have Marty [St. Louis] come in and bring that fresh energy, it was really great for the room”
Playing through injuries the previous season, Byron said that coming back to start the season so quickly without much time off was another tough challenge for him.
“Normally the playoffs would end the first week of June. Finishing mid-July and then having to just jump back into the season, that was really really hard.”
While his playing days appear to be over, he is a strong believer in the current roster’s potential.
“Here in Montreal, we have a great young core, great young players inside the organization already,” he said. “It shouldn’t be too long before the team is really good, really competitive.”
As for what his future holds, Byron hinted at potentially taking on a coaching role.
“I still want to play. I still want to be in the game. I still want to be a hockey player. But if I’m not a hockey player, I’d certainly love the opportunity to help the young guys do something within player development or coaching.”