Last month, Montreal Canadiens fans learned that Paul Byron was hanging up his skates after General Manager Kent Hughes confirmed rumours of his retirement.
With that said, he’s already back on the ice.
Montreal journalist Priyanta Emrith shared a video of the 33-year-old skating with a handful of Habs players at Brossard’s CN Sports Complex on Wednesday morning.
Byron, equipped with gloves and a stick, could be seen skating around and overseeing drills while wearing a tracksuit.
Recently retired Paul Byron was on the ice with the handful of #Habs players who skated in Brossard this morning – you love to see it! pic.twitter.com/1urNtgHUD5
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) September 6, 2023
As a result, many are speculating that he could be stepping into a development role.
In a recent interview with former Canadiens enforcer Chris Nilan, Byron touched on the subject of coaching in the future.
“I still want to play. I still want to be in the game. I still want to be a hockey player,” he explained. “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.”
He also expressed his belief in the potential of Montreal’s young roster.
“Here in Montreal, we have a great young core, great young players inside the organization already,” Byron said. “It shouldn’t be too long before the team is really good, really competitive.”
Byron, who was a member of three NHL teams over a 12-year career, arrived in Montreal in 2015 after being claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames.
He last played for Montreal in the 2021-22 season, where he netted four goals and seven points over 27 games.