During a recent press conference, the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens somewhat confirmed that Paul Byron would soon announce his retirement from professional hockey. Kent Hughes even added that he would have a discussion with the former number 41 of the Tricolor to find out if he wanted to take up a position within the organization this season.
Shortly after this statement, although technically without a contract for the upcoming year, Paul Byron was seen several times in the company of the Canadiens. Indeed, the small forward was present at the rookie development camp, where he addressed a few words to the prospects of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.
While visiting the podcast The Raw Knuckles Podcast, hosted by Chris Nilan, the 34-year-old veteran admitted that he was facing a major dilemma. He would very much like to find a new team to continue his career, but his body simply does not allow it.
Unfortunately, Paul Byron has suffered several injuries over the past few years, having played only a total of 102 games (out of a possible 328 matches) since the 2019-2020 season.
Has the Ottawa native forward finally decided to give up his playing career to take on a new role within the organization? It seems to be the case, as he was on the ice at the Bell Sports Complex today, along with some players from the Montreal Canadiens.
Moreover, unlike guys like Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak, and Jake Allen who were wearing their full uniform, Paul Byron seemed to be more present as a coach. One thing is for sure, we would greatly like him to be back with the team this year as his experience could be a considerable asset for the young players of the organization.
