When looking at Byron's numbers, two invariably draw notice: 5-9 (as in feet and inches) and 158 (as in pounds).

A whippet of a player with breakaway speed, Byron has overcome his share of doubt over his size to become an everyday NHL player. His intangibles, such as tenacity and willpower, can never be quantified, however.

He has developed into a versatile, reliable forward in Montreal, scoring 68 goals in his first four seasons with the Canadiens playing on whatever line he is needed.

Byron paid his dues, and then some. He spent four seasons in junior hockey, including three with Gatineau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he played with future NHL center Claude Giroux.

Offense was never an issue for Byron. In his last two seasons at Gatineau, he had 37 and 33 goals, respectively, and in his final season, 2008-09, he had 99 points and was a second-team all-star.

Still, he lasted until the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, where the Buffalo Sabres selected him with pick No. 179. He would appear in only eight games for Buffalo, in 2010-11, and spent the majority of his first two pro seasons with Portland of the American Hockey League. Byron did, however, score a memorable first NHL goal with Buffalo, in his hometown of Ottawa against the Senators on Jan. 25, 2011.

At the 2011 NHL Draft, Byron was traded to the Calgary Flames. He moved up and down between Calgary and Abbotsford of the AHL, his progress stalled by injuries, but he became a regular with the Flames in 2013-2014.

On Oct. 5, 2015, the Flames placed Byron on waivers, and he was claimed the next day by the Montreal Canadiens. Byron impressed enough that he was given a three-year contract extension in February 2016. In 2015-16 he won the Jacques Beauchamp-Molson Trophy, awarded to the member of the Canadiens who plays a dominant role in the regular season without earning any particular honor.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• QMJHL Second All-Star Team (2009)
• Traded to Calgary by Buffalo with Chris Butler for Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik and Calgary's 2nd round pick (Jake McCabe) in 2012 NHL Draft, June 25, 2011.
• Claimed on waivers by Montreal from Calgary, October 6, 2015.