5 things you may not know about Blackhawks' Bowen Byram

One of the biggest moves the Chicago Blackhawks made this offseason was acquiring 25-year-old defenseman Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres. The 2022 Stanley Cup champion was the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and hasn’t missed a game in the past two seasons.

As the latest big signing on the Blackhawks’ blueline, he’s fresh off his best statistical campaign in the NHL, with 11 goals, 42 points, and a plus-15 rating. In addition, he tied for the second-most game winners on the Sabres, with five, while helping the club win the Atlantic Division crown.

Today, we take a look at some interesting statistics from his six-year professional career and his junior days, including representing Canada on the international stage.

Byram’s first career goal came against a future Hall of Famer

Byram made his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 21, 2021, against the Los Angeles Kings and went goalless in his first 19 games. However, in the season opener on Oct. 13, 2021, against the Blackhawks, he scored his first goal against Marc-Andre Fleury in a 4-2 victory.

Since then, Byram has scored against 30 goalies, including a couple of Vezina Trophy winners: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck, as well as Linus Ullmark, who has surrendered the most goals to Byram, with four.

Second-highest scoring defensemen from the 2019 Draft

At the 2019 NHL Draft, 66 defensemen were selected, with 36 of them having skated at least one game in the league as of July 2026. Interestingly, two of the top six picks were defenders, including Byram at fourth overall and Moritz Seider at sixth overall. Regarding scoring amongst blueliners, these two have swapped spots.

Heading into the 2026-27 campaign, Seider has an almost 100-point lead over Byram in points, 250-152, while the latter has a better plus/minus rating at plus-41 compared to minus-17. However, the two are separated by a single minor penalty, with Seider at 222 penalty minutes and Byram at 220.

Former Alberta Hockey Player of the Year

At 14 years old, Byram was captain of the Lethbridge Golden Hawks in the AMBHL in 2014-15. In the following season, he tallied 22 goals and 59 points, helping his team to a championship, while also taking home the league’s Top Defenseman honors and being named the Alberta Hockey Player of the Year.

Interestingly, these honors would only be the beginning for Byram, who would also be a CSSHL U18 Top Defenseman and a U17 WHC All-Star. In the CHL, he’d win the Top Draft Prospect Award and was named to both the WHL First and Second All-Star Teams during his time in the league. At the World Juniors, he was a one-time All-Star and Top 3 Player on the team.

In addition to the personal accolades, Byram won a WCBC bronze medal, a U16 WCCC gold medal, a Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal, and U20 WJC gold and silver medals.

Fifth-highest scoring player from Cranbrook, BC

According to Hockey Reference, only 15 players born in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada have played an NHL game, including current Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska and Hockey Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman. Of course, with three Stanley Cup rings and 1,755 points, Yzerman is one of the greatest B.C.-born players of all time.

Meanwhile, at just 25, Byram has 152 points in 328 games, which ranks fifth among Cranbrook skaters, just behind Don Murdoch (238), Bob Murdoch (157), and Ray Allison (157). Considering that Dryden Hunt is the only other active NHL player on this list, Bowen has a chance to move up to second place and settle in behind Yzerman.

Byram’s dad played one game for the Blackhawks in 1991

Bowen’s dad, Shawn Byram, was a fourth-round pick (80th overall) of the New York Islanders in 1986. He’d make his NHL debut on Feb. 24, 1991, skating in four games with the New York that season, collecting no points but 16 penalty minutes. On Aug. 15, 1991, Shawn signed with the Blackhawks as a free agent and dressed for one game against the Minnesota North Stars on Nov. 3, 1991.

After a respectable career in the WHL, Shawn bounced between the AHL and ECHL before playing five NHL games. Unable to land a role in the league, he wound up playing professional hockey in various leagues across Europe until 2002-03.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow