James Paul Byron (born April 27, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Byron was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the sixth round, 179th overall, of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut with Buffalo in 2011 before a trade sent him to the Calgary Flames. Playing career Amateur A native of Ottawa, Byron first played junior B hockey with the Ottawa West Golden Knights in 2005–06. He moved up to major-junior the following season with the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Following a 44-point campaign in 2006–07, the Buffalo Sabres chose to select him with their sixth round pick, 179th overall, at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He remained in junior in 2007–08 where he improved to 68 points in 52 games for the Olympiques. Byron scored 32 points in 19 playoff games – second only to teammate Claude Giroux's 51 points – to help lead Gatineau to the President's Cup championship and a berth in the 2008 Memorial Cup. He played a third and final season in the QMJHL in 2008–09 where he scored 99 points in 64 games and was named a second-team all-star. Professional Buffalo Sabres (2009–11) Byron signed a three-year contract with the Sabres on June 1, 2009, only a few hours before Buffalo would have lost his rights. He was assigned to the Sabres's top minor league affiliate, the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the 2009–10 season. He played the entire season in Portland, scoring 33 points in 57 games, and spent the majority of the 2010–11 season there as well, improving to 53 points in 67 games. Byron earned a recall to the NHL during the season and made his NHL debut on January 22, 2011. He scored his first NHL point, an assist on a Tyler Myers goal, in a 5–3 victory over the New York Islanders. He scored his first goal two nights later in his hometown against the Ottawa Senators. Calgary Flames (2011–15 A draft-day trade on June 25, 2011, sent Byron, along with Chris Butler, to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Robyn Regehr, Aleš Kotalík and a draft pick. He spent the majority of the season with the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL, but earned several recalls to Calgary. On one such recall,