Paul Byron: July 1 has come and gone, and he’s still in the CH entourage

When you think of the guys who paid the price for the CH’s run to the finals in the summer of 2021, the names Carey Price and Shea Weber come up a lot. We know it really ruined the guys’ careers, to the point where the two (likely) future Hall of Famers never played again.

And let’s not forget that Paul Byron also fits the bill. Ti-Paul was a great asset to the CH, having been drafted and spent seven seasons in town. He also tried to return in 2021-22, but he just wasn’t the same.

That said, even though he didn’t play last year, he was constantly in the team’s entourage. He was still under contract and wanted to help in some way.

But now that July 1 has passed, Byron is no longer under contract with the club. That said, the autonomous player is still part of the CH entourage today, and has been talking to the club’s youngsters during the development camp.

The reality is that Byron will probably never play in the NHL again. He’s not ready to close the door for good, but we can feel his body giving out on him.

It’s really sad to see his career come to an end like this.

But the fact that he’s still with the CH is really good news. We know that his former teammates saw him as a good future GM, but Ti-Paul feels he can help in a role in the player development department.

And when you see that he was among those who took the time to chat with David Reinbacher when the latter visited the Bell Centre last Friday (when Byron was only 24 hours away from becoming an independent player), it’s a sign that there’s still a place for him in the organization.

David Reinbacher’s first visit to Montreal was in 2017.

His second visit was on Friday as a Montreal Canadien 🤩#GoHabsGo | @RBC pic.twitter.com/azOhSVk4CY

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) July 1, 2023

Byron likes Montreal a lot, and the fans liked him a lot, too. For a long time now, it seems only a matter of time before there’s an official nomination.

Because the fact that he’s still wearing CH clothing leads me to believe that he’s already working unofficially with the club.

I really hope that Byron, who has been one of the Canadiens’ great stories in recent years, will have a position in the team’s field hockey operations for years to come. He has what it takes to be a great help to the organization, in my opinion.

Breaking news

– Nice read.

– Signing in Washington.

– Indeed.

– It’s a shame. Understandable, though.

– It’s been a while.