The National Hockey League (NHL) season may be over for Bowen Byram and his Buffalo Sabres teammates but the Cranbrook resident is extending his playing time by pulling on a Team Canada jersey for the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia from May 10 to 26.

TSN.ca reported this morning that Byram and Sabres teammate Dylan Cozens, from Whitehorse, Yukon, will be joining Team Canada.

Byram, 22, won a Stanley Cup in his rookie season with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, the team that selected him fourth overall in the 2019 NHL draft.

Defenseman Byram was traded to Buffalo March 6 for centre Casey Mittlestadt.

Byram represented Canada at the world Junior Championship in 2020 and 2021, helping the team capture gold and silver medals.

Over four seasons in the NHL (164 career games), Byram has compiled 26 goals and 72 points and is a +15.

Canada’s World Championship team is traditionally comprised of players from NHL teams that failed to make the playoffs, lose in the first round or from European leagues, minor hockey leagues and up-and-coming junior prospects.

Lead image: Bowen Byram brought the Stanley Cup home to Cranbrook in August 2022.  e-KNOW file photo

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