It was a great success story . Byron proved you don ’ t have to be selected in the WHL draft and yet you can still be very successful if you keep working toward your goal .
NHL / AHL SCOUTING REPORT
It was a great success story . Byron proved you don ’ t have to be selected in the WHL draft and yet you can still be very successful if you keep working toward your goal .
comparable story to another NHL late bloomer from Winkler , Dustin Penner . Byron ended up playing high school hockey in Winkler as a 15-year-old and pretty much fell off the radar for most people . However , I did my follow-up and I travelled out to see Byron play a handful of rural high school games that season . By the end of the year , things had changed dramatically . Byron still played a smart , solid , simple game , but now he also had size . He had grown up , was physically stronger , faster and had been playing well against older , stronger players all season . This warranted another camp invitation and this time , he made an impression . He led the entire Silvertips training camp in scoring and he competed hard . He was instantly put on our protected list and it was obvious that he ’ d worked hard to achieve that goal . It got better from there . Byron returned home and made the Pembina Valley AAA Midget team . He had a solid season and from there he came back to Everett and made the squad as a 17-year-old . That year , he had 19 goals while he and his two linemates had an outstanding season . It was a great success story . Byron proved you don ’ t have to be selected in the WHL draft and yet you can still be very successful if you keep working toward your goal . The summer after his first season in Everett , he was chosen to represent Canada at the IIHF ’ s Ivan Hlinka Memorial U-18 Tournament , a major event for prospects . He returned for another solid season with the Silvertips in 2009-10 and was chosen in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Draft ( 119th overall ) by the Chicago Blackhawks . He had made huge strides in a very short period of time . The next season , I got the call from our Director of Player Personnel , Scott Scoville ( current Winnipeg Jets Scout ), who told me
that we were trading Byron to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for Landon Ferraro ( son of Ray Ferraro ). Of course , my heart sank . As much as I appreciated Landon as a player , Byron was one of my all-time personal favorite Silvertips and he still is to this very day . Not surprisingly , everything turned out pretty well for Byron that year as he got hooked up on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and they made some magic together . Byron had 43 goals and 81 points in 70 games and it was a terrific season for both of them . However , when it came to playing at the NHL level , Byron was still a work in progress . He had a minor pro career in the Chicago organization , splitting time in the ECHL and AHL , and I guess it ’ s safe to say that , eventually , the Toronto Maple Leafs gave Byron a second opportunity to realize his dream . Byron is still talked about today in the Everett Silvertip organization . His picture hangs on the wall along with the other 17 Silvertip players who have made it to the NHL . He is remembered for the kind of player he was : Hardworking , steady , solid , reliable , consistent and coachable . He was also a great teammate , quiet , humble , focused , committed and loyal . Byron is just an all-around great citizen and person . Of course , he has such an outstanding , positive family , too . For me , it ’ s wonderful to see him achieve his dream . Byron Froese is not only a player , but a person I will always remember and respect . n
University of Manitoba graduate Doug Sinclair is a former European professional player who played on the 2003 Allan Cup champion Ile des Chenes North Stars . Today , he ’ s a scout with the Western Hockey League ’ s Everett Silvertips , a hockey clinician at NRG and a member of Hockey Manitoba ’ s Program of Excellence Coaching Staff .
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