“Not at the moment, no. »
The answer, offered without hesitation, is that of Paul Byron when asked if an assistant coaching position with the Laval Rocket could tempt him. A response still given with a smile, let us point out.
The Canadiens’ farm club recently announced that its entire coaching staff would be back next year. The only exception on the table: Kelly Buchberger, who had been behind the bench of the Laval club since the 2021-2022 season, left to lead a team in the Alberta Junior League.
The Rocket is therefore looking for a successor, and the name of Byron quickly fueled the rumor machine. Some saw the former number 41 taking over, he who has worked as a player development consultant for the Habs since he hung up his skates last year.
However, in an interview with The Press Monday evening, he indicated that the job in Laval did not interest him for the moment. No more than any other coaching role at the professional level, for that matter. He will instead be content to lead his son’s team in the minor ranks.
“It’s a full-time job,” he emphasizes. Even more so than when playing. We spend so much time at the arena filming, preparing for practices and games, traveling… It’s just something I’m not ready for in my life right now. »
Help the player and the person
In addition to coach his offspring, Byron will therefore continue to support the hopes of CH. A job that required some adaptation after having had to give up his career on the ice, but with which he feels more and more comfortable.
Among the players with whom Byron worked more closely, he mentions Owen Beck – who was very proud of his two-goal performance in the Memorial Cup final –, Emil Heineman, Jan Mysak (traded to Anaheim) and Filip Mesar. He also spent time observing Oliver Kapanen, Blake Biondi and Cédrick Guindon. The latter, however, did not receive a contract from the Canadian, and will therefore be eligible for the draft again this year.
“For me, it’s about learning about the player and the person, and finding how I can improve them,” he explains of the mentality that drives him. If it’s a small detail, that’s the only thing we’ll focus on. »
“It’s difficult to be 20 years old, to leave Europe to arrive in Canada,” continues Byron. You have your teammates and maybe a few friends, but you can tend to feel lonely. If we can be there for a player and show him that the organization believes in him, it can be important for their development and their confidence. »
When asked what we can expect from the Canadiens’ young flock for the next season, one word immediately comes to mind: “growth”.
“It will take time, but we have a lot of good young players,” he says. As our seeds are planted and the roots grow, our organization will only grow. And the more players that come in and make an impact, the better. »
The return of the chair!
We spoke with Byron on Monday on the sidelines of the award of scholarships by the Canadiens and the Aléo Foundation to young hockey players who have excelled both in the arena and in the classroom. No less than 28 student athletes shared $60,000.
“Not long ago I was a young player myself. My parents and I didn’t have a lot of money. To be able to support this foundation is fantastic,” says Byron.
When responding to one of the scholarship recipients who asked him what was the most difficult thing about getting to the next level as a hockey player, Byron recalled Martin St-Louis’ famous metaphor of chairs. A moment that sparked hilarity in the room.
“It wasn’t a direct reference to Martin, but it’s something we talk about a lot in hockey,” Byron explains with a laugh. You want to sit at the big table, but sometimes the chair isn’t the one you want. But you take it, and when a chair becomes available, that’s when you can take another. For some, it’s not easy to see these openings, but if you’re ready to take that chair, it can be the difference between playing in Europe and playing in the NHL. »
It seems that the concept of the chair is ageless in hockey…