Avalanche Re-Signs Bowen Byram

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed defenseman Bowen Byram to a two-year contract through the 2024-25 season.

Byram, 22, recorded 24 points (10g/14a) in 42 outings with the Avalanche this past season, ranking second among Colorado defenseman in goals. He became the third blueliner in franchise history to score 10+ goals in a season at age 21 or younger, joining Jeff Brown in 1987-88 and Cale Makar in 2019-20. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound blueliner appeared in all seven of the Avs' first-round games against Seattle in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, notching three points (0g/3a).

Selected by the Avalanche in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Byram has tallied 43 points (15g/28a) in 91 career regular-season outings with Colorado from 2020-23. He has totaled 12 points (0g/12a) in 27 career playoff contests.

Byram helped the Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup, recording nine points (0g/9a) while appearing in all 20 postseason outings. He led all NHL rookies in playoff scoring and assists. Byram also tied for the league lead with a +15 plus/minus rating, the third-highest by a rookie defenseman in Stanley Cup Playoff history behind only Ken Morrow (+20) with the 1981 Islanders and Mike Busniuk (+17) with the 1980 Flyers. He made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 1 of the first round series against Nashville on May 3 and tallied his first career postseason point with an assist in Game 4 at Nashville on May 9. Byram was the youngest player in franchise history to have a three-game playoff point streak, (May 23-27) and recorded his first career playoff multi-point game with a pair of assists in Game 4 of the second-round series at St. Louis on May 23. In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final vs. Tampa Bay, he became the youngest player in franchise history to record a point (1a) in a Final game (21 years, 2 days).

Despite playing just 30 games during the 2021-22 regular season, Byram tied for third among NHL rookie defensemen in goals (5). He scored his first NHL goal, the game winner, on Opening Night (Oct. 13) vs. Chicago, becoming the third-youngest blueliner in franchise history to score a game-winning goal (20 years, 122 days). Byram made his NHL debut with the Avalanche on Jan. 21, 2021 vs. Los Angeles and recorded his first career point, an assist, in the next game against Anaheim.

Byram spent four seasons with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League from 2016-20, recording 150 points (46g/104a) in 188 career WHL games. In the 2018-19 season, the Cranbrook, British Columbia, native led all WHL defensemen in goals and ranked third in points, earning WHL (West) First All-Star Team honors. He added 26 points (8g/18a) in 22 playoff games, leading all skaters in assists and points and becoming the first defenseman to ever lead the WHL in postseason scoring. Byram accumulated 33 points (11g/22a) in 29 playoff outings.

Internationally, Byram represented his country at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2020 and 2021. He recorded two points (0g/2a) in seven games at the 2020 tournament to help Canada capture the gold medal, and he notched five points (1g/4a) in seven games at the 2021 tournament, leading Canada to a silver medal as team captain. Byram led all Canadian defensemen in points and assists, earning a spot on the World Junior Championship All-Star Team. He competed for Canada at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship in Russia, recording one point (0g/1a) in five contests. Byram recorded four points (1g/3a) in five games to help his nation capture the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and also suited up for Team Canada Red at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, registering five points (1g/4a) in six outings.