Quinton Byfield (born August 19, 2002) is a Canadian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

for the

Ontario Reign The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays i ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

(AHL) as a prospect for the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL). Byfield was selected second overall by the Kings in the

2020 NHL Entry Draft The 2020 NHL Entry Draft was the 58th NHL Entry Draft, held from October 6–7, 2020. The draft was originally scheduled for June 26–27, 2020, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, but was postponed on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pan ...

and made his NHL debut with the team in 2021.

Playing career

Byfield was the first overall pick in the 2018 OHL Draft and won both OHL Rookie of the Year and

CHL Rookie of the Year The CHL Rookie of the Year Award is given out annually to the top rookie in the Canadian Hockey League. It is chosen from the winners of; the Emms Family Award (OHL Rookie of the Year), the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL Rookie of the Year), an ...

. In 2018–19, he put up 29 goals and 61 points in 64 games. Quinton Byfield

After his second overall selection in the

, Byfield was signed by the Los Angeles Kings to a three-year, entry-level contract on October 16, 2020. He was assigned to the Kings'

(AHL) roster to begin the 2020–21 season where he played on a line with

Akil Thomas Akil Thomas (born January 2, 2000) is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Ontario Reign in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Los Angeles Kings. Prior to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Thom ...

and

Devante Smith-Pelly Devante Malik Smith-Pelly (born June 14, 1992) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round, 42nd overall, of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Smith-Pelly played in the style of a power f ...

. His line became the first all-Black line in professional ice hockey since

Herb Carnegie Herbert Henry Carnegie, CM, O.Ont, OMC (November 8, 1919 – March 9, 2012) was a Canadian ice hockey player of Jamaican descent. After his playing career was over, he became a successful businessman working in the investment industry. In 1954 ...

, Ossie Carnegie, and Manny McIntyre in the 1940s. During their first game together, Thomas recorded a natural hat-trick and his line combined for six points in the eventual win. On April 28, 2021, Byfield made his

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

debut in a 3–2 loss to the

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center. ...

. He recorded his first NHL point on May 5, 2021, in a 4–2 win over the

Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...

. In October 2021, Byfield fractured his ankle, keeping him from joining the Kings. Byfield eventually returned to the NHL level on January 20, 2022. He scored his first NHL goal in a matchup against the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...

on January 27, in a 3–2 win over the

International play

Byfield won a silver medal at the

2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup The 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup was an under-18 international ice hockey tournament that was held in Piešťany, Slovakia and Břeclav, Czech Republic from 5 to 10 August 2019 at Alcaplast Arena in Břeclav and Easton Arena in Piešťany. Team Russi ...

. Byfield won a Gold Medal with Canada at the 2020 World Junior Championships held in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, posting one assist in seven games. Byfield won a silver medal with Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championships held in Canada, posting two goals and five assists for seven points in seven games.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours

References

External links

* 2002 births Living people Black Canadian ice hockey players Canadian ice hockey centres Canadian people of Jamaican descent Los Angeles Kings draft picks Los Angeles Kings players National Hockey League first-round draft picks Ontario Reign (AHL) players Sportspeople from Newmarket, Ontario Sudbury Wolves players {{Canada-icehockey-centre-stub