Like everyone in the hockey world, the Kings quietly watched the Quinton Byfield World Junior Championships this winter with surprise
In seven games with Team Canada, the big center collected one point As his fellow draft-eligible prospects sparkled, Byfield’s playing time was reduced In the gold medal game in January, he was benched In an otherwise stellar junior hockey career, it was a comedown without comparison
“It was definitely a learning curve for me,” said Byfield “It was a humbling experience”
But the Kings were also watching what came next, when Byfield scored 25 points in his last 15 OHL games, returned from a wrist injury in February without missing a beat, and demonstrates mental strength as strong as his 6 feet -4, physical frame of 215 pounds
Eight months later, the Kings selected Byfield second in the NHL Draft on Tuesday, making the 18-year-old one of the important picks in franchise history
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In 2008, the Kings drafted Drew Doughty second overall and drastically changed their fortunes They are hoping for a similar scenario on Tuesday
The last time the Kings picked this record they got Drew Doughty and four years later they won the Stanley Cup for the first time Expectations of Byfield – A native of Ontario, Canada, who was the 2019 OHL Rookie of the Year, has 143 points in 109 games over the past two seasons with the Sudbury Wolves and became the highest player of color in NHL history almost as high
Scouts love Byfield’s skating abilities and his physically imposing two-way play At the junior level, he was already dominating his opponents And many reviewers believe there is a lot more physical development in store as he s’ strives to reach the NHL
« Byfield is a big kid, » Kings amateur scouting director Mark Yannetti said ahead of draft « And it’s built very differently now than it was last year »
For all of Byfield’s on-ice attributes, his response at the World Juniors was one of the things that impressed Yannetti the most
“A lot of times these young kids don’t face adversity,” said Yannetti “People beg them to play on a team at 14 People give them tips Officers trip over themselves to reach these guys The coach takes care of them
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« When you get into the American League or the NHL, the first thing you’re going to face is adversity – no matter how good you are. I loved the fact that I saw Byfield face it. adversity firsthand and manage it well after leaving the World Juniors »
Byfield’s struggles at the age of 17 in an Under-20 event were not unusual When asked last month what he took away from the experience, Byfield the described as an ultimate teaching moment
“I’m always so thankful for the experience,” said Byfield “Coming home with a gold is something you can never take Lessons like that, sacrificing just a little of what you can do to make the team win, I can definitely take that back and use it later in my game »
This is exactly what the Kings are hoping for, especially as Byfield is not yet considered NHL ready There is a lot of room for the Kings new hope to grow, there is still a lot of obstacles to overcome to succeed in his no 2 selection
As expected, the New York Rangers made 18-year-old center Alexis Lafreniere the No 1 choice
Tim Stuetzle, another 18-year-old center the Kings were eager to take at No.2, went third to the Ottawa Senators Yannetti called the Byfield-Stuetzle decision the toughest the Kings have had to make during his 13 years with the team
At the start of the draft, which took place virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he expected next season to start on January 1, 2021
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Jack Harris is a Los Angeles Times Sports Journalist Prior to becoming an editor at The Times, Harris interned at the newspaper Originally from Phoenix, he previously covered Arizona State athletics for 247Sports and appeared in the Republic of Arizona, Dallas Morning News and San Jose Mercury News His work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Hearst Foundation
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Quinton Byfield
World News – CA – Kings choose center Quinton Byfield No 2 overall in NHL Draft
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
