2019 NHL Draft prospect Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants has been named the WHL McSweeney’s Player of the Month for January 2019.
Byram recorded 19 points (10G-9A) and a plus-17 rating in 13 games as the Giants led all WHL teams in points earned throughout the month with a 9-3-0-1 record. Their month, which included an eight-game winning streak, increased their lead in the B.C. Division to 17 points while also placing them within five points of the lead in the Western Conference.
Over the course of the 13 games, Byram recorded points in 11 of the contests, including a pair of multi-goal games. On Saturday, January 12 against the Kamloops Blazers, Byram recorded the first five-point game of his WHL career, setting a franchise record for points in a single game by a Giants’ defenceman. From his team’s nine wins during the month, Byram had the game-winning goal in three of those contests. The Cranbrook, B.C. product also recorded three other multi-point performances during the month.
For the week ending January 13, 2019, Byram was named WHL On the Run Player of the Week and Canadian Hockey League Player of the Week. During the course of the month, Byram was recognized twice as the first star of the game, once as the second star of the game, and twice as the third star of the contest. Byram also earned a pair of first star of the night honours for the WHL. Of Byram’s totals, 15 points (8G-7A) came at even strength.
With 10 goals in the month of January, Byram is the first WHL defenceman to record double-digit goals in a single calendar month since Kale Clague scored 10 with the Brandon Wheat Kings in October 2017.
Originally selected third overall by the Giants at the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound, 17-year-old has quickly become the top defensive prospect among North American skaters at the 2019 NHL Draft. Days before Byram competed with Team Cherry at the 2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game,Byram was ranked fourth among skaters in North America by NHL Central Scouting.
With 47 points (19G-28A) in 47 games this season, Byram is tied for third in WHL defensive scoring while leading all WHL defencemen in goals scored. Byram also leads all CHL defencemen in goals scored. Byram’s five game-winning goals this season is tied for first among WHL defencemen as well.
In 118 WHL regular season games, Byram has recorded 74 points (25G-49A), including eight power-play goals, one short-handed goal, and seven game-winning goals.