Byron: 'I didn't want to go anywhere'

BROSSARD - Being placed on waivers is always a nail-biting experience.

Just ask Paul Byron.
The 31-year-old left-winger patiently awaited his fate on Monday knowing full well that he could possibly be heading to any one of 30 other markets when the clock struck noon, but the hockey gods ultimately decided that he'd remain in Montreal.
That definitely suited the Canadiens' alternate captain because he wasn't looking to relocate.
"I didn't want to go anywhere, to be honest. My agent asked me if I did and I told him: "No, I'd prefer to stay in Montreal." We had a team meeting at the beginning of the year. We looked at the roster, we knew how good everybody was. It's not very often that you have 13th and 14th forwards like myself, Corey [Perry] and Michael Frolik playing or capable of playing for us. The reality was we have a really good hockey team and unfortunately you can't play all 14 players," said Byron, following Friday's practice at the Bell Sports Complex. "This is a team I want to be on. I want to win here, I want to be the best player I can be for this team. I wasn't ready for a fresh start. I wanted to stay here. I want to work, I want to compete and I want to show that I'm capable of playing better. I know I'm capable of playing better and I look forward to the opportunity to be able to show that."

The 11-year veteran described the 24-hour waiting period when his immediate future was still up in the air as "a little bit stressful" - and with good reason - but he managed to navigate the situation with the help of his family.
From talking to his wife, Sarah, to playing outside with his children, Elianna and Brysen, Byron did his very best to remain positive, crossing his fingers he'd go unclaimed.
"My wife was pretty in shock and surprised by what happened. I've had support from her my whole career. We've been in this position before together and she was pretty reassuring. She did a really good job of keeping things stable and normal," said Byron, a waiver wire pick-up himself by the Canadiens on October 6, 2015 from the Calgary Flames. "We had the attitude that whatever happens, the next day we'll deal with it when it comes. That's all you can really do."

With that perspective in mind, the former sixth-round selection of the Buffalo Sabres (179th overall) has no ill will towards the organization regarding the waivers move.
He understands that multiple factors were involved, including salary cap matters and his subpar numbers thus far this season with only three assists in 14 games.
"It's a business. I understand that. It's about production. It's about what you do to the team, what you can bring to the team, managing the salary cap, and the more you can come to terms with that and understand that, the better you can prepare and move on from things. Nothing's personal in this business," insisted Byron. "I know the team and the coaching staff like me as a person, but they're running a business and they've got to do the best job they can for the team, and I'm okay with that."
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Even though he's a member of the taxi squad at the moment, Byron is adamant about remaining the model citizen and teammate he was before this all transpired.
The Ottawa native sports an "A" on his jersey for a reason, and he'll continue to fulfill his duties the best way he knows how.
"In terms of leadership, nothing's going to change. I'm not going to change who I am and what I do at the rink every day," stressed Byron. "It's a business decision and you've got to live with it. You've got to move on and you've got to be a good pro about it. That's just what I've been trying to do."
'He's been a total pro'
Head coach Claude Julien was certainly pleased that Byron remained in the Canadiens' fold.
The veteran bench boss made that crystal clear on Friday with his comments via Zoom.
"As a coach, I'm happy to have Paul. We like him a lot. I think it was more of a business decision than anything else. Paul Byron can definitely help us, and he'll continue to help us," mentioned Julien. "I'm happy he's still here and I'm happy to have him on our team."

He also appreciates the fact that Byron has consistently been a dependable soldier who sets a good example for every player around him, veterans and youngsters alike.
"With what's happened to him, having been put on waivers, his demeanor, his response to what just happened, he's been a total pro. He's been working hard, he's come in and has not shown anybody that it fazed him at all. I think at the end of the day he's happy that he's still here, and I think he also realizes that we're all happy that he's still here as well," added Julien. "That's the good part of it. He's been a pretty important part of this team going through some growing pains with the way he's led with his work ethic, his compete level and everything else. He started something here and I'm sure he wants to finish it."