Prospect Profile: David Byrne
July 21, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release
David Byrne never needed any encouragement when it came to hockey.
From a young age, the Calgary, Alberta native found himself gravitating towards the game in his backyard.
"I think my earliest memories of hockey would be in our backyard, just shooting pucks on a net that we had set up," he said. "I would be out there for hours on end, flipping pucks into the net. I would be out there doing my own thing and loving it."
Byrne says even from the time he was a young child his goal has always been to play at the highest level he possibly can, and that passion has only intensified as he's gotten older.
His father and two older brothers have helped him every step of the way, he said.
Even though his favorite player to watch growing up going to Calgary Flames games was Sam Bennett, now of the Florida Panthers, Byrne says he's been a defenseman for as long as he can remember.
"I think as soon as we started playing with actual positions, I've always been a defenseman," he said. "My brother was a defenseman too, and I've always just been back there. I don't think I've ever had any desire to play a different position."
Working his way through Calgary minor hockey, Byrne started to take notice of the Western Hockey League and began striving towards one day being drafted into the league.
"I think once you hit a certain age you start seeing guys who you know getting drafted," he said. "At that time you start thinking to yourself how cool it is and how you want to be there one day."
In Byrne's draft year of 2022-23, the eyes of WHL scouts began looking at him over the course of his season with the Calgary Royals U15 team. He finished the season with 20 points (6-14-20) in 34 games, while also playing five games with the U17 team, registering three assists.
He says being on the WHL radar was a dream come true.
"I thought it was super cool," he said. "There's really no better feeling than getting a call from a team or having a team asking you to fill out a form. Knowing that your hard work is paying off, it was really fun."
Come draft day in May of 2023, Byrne was hyper-fixated on the Draft as it was something he had been looking forward to for a long time.
So much so, in fact, that he couldn't stay at school that day.
"I was very nervous on draft day," he said. "I went to school, and I had teachers telling me to stop looking at my phone all day. I just couldn't focus so I had to go home, and when my name popped up, I just stared at the screen for a bit in awe, thinking to myself 'I did it'."
The Americans drafted Byrne in the seventh round with the 144th overall pick. He says almost immediately after his name appeared on screen; he got a phone call from his dad who was also glued to the draft while at work.
Despite the Toyota Center being nearly a 10-hour drive from Byrne's hometown of Calgary, he knew a bit about the organization because he had played with Jackson Smith and Cruz Pavao previously in minor hockey.
The first WHL training camp for newly drafted players is always an eye-opening experience as players are jumping on the ice with other players who are up to five years older than them.
It was no different for 15-year-old David Byrne at his first camp in August of 2023.
"I just remember being on the ice with Lukas Dragicevic, knowing he was a second-round NHL draft pick," he said. "I thought to myself 'how am I on the same ice as him right now'. It was crazy for me to think about. It was important for me to get out there and realize what the expectations are at that level."
Byrne elected to join the Canadian Sport School Hockey League for the 2023-24 season, stating he believed Edge School in Calgary would present him with a better opportunity to grow as a player.
At the U17 level Byrne posted 24 points (7-17-24) in 30 games. He says the U17 level was the right level for him to be at that time, rather than making a larger leap to the U18 level.
Toward the end of the 2023-24 season the Americans were ravaged by injuries, leading to Byrne receiving a phone call that the team wanted to sign him and have him play a few games down the stretch. He could hardly believe his ears when he received the call.
"That was insane," he said. "I don't think I've ever been more excited in my life. Knowing that I'd be going down there was crazy to me. Coming out of U17 I didn't think it was a possibility for that year."
Byrne was in Penticton, British Columbia at the CSSHL Championships when he received the call.
It was announced that Byrne had signed with the team on March 8, and four days later he was preparing for his WHL debut at the Langley Events Centre against the Vancouver Giants.
Understandably, there were some nerves heading into the game, but Byrne says he received reassurance from everyone around him.
"All the players and coaches kept telling me that I was there for a reason," he said. "They kept telling me 'you're good enough to be here, don't worry about making mistakes.' I was definitely nervous, but I think my parents were more nervous than I was."
Byrne suited up for three games for the Americans and looked more comfortable than most would expect for a 15-year-old seventh round draft pick.
All three of his games came on the road as he played in Vancouver, Portland and Spokane, giving him a preview of what it's like to be an opposing player against division rivals.
"I loved the big crowds," he said. "Even being the away team, being hated by the fans was fun. There were a few big names on those teams and being a 15-year-old against them was pretty special. Going into those games I was uncertain what would happen, because it's such a big jump from U17, but after my first game I thought 'ok I think I can hold my own here.'
After beginning the 2024-25 season with the Americans, joining them on the season-opening trip to Victoria, Byrne returned to Calgary and played for the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Calgary Canucks.
Generally an older league, the AJHL had just three 2008-born defensemen play 40 or more games in 2024-25, with Byrne being one of them.
He says playing at that level was what he wanted to do when he was sent back to Calgary from the Americans.
"The Canucks is definitely where I wanted to be," he said. "I think playing junior is a completely different level than U18. Playing in an older league and on an older team like the Canucks, I think I matured a lot. It was such a great year."
The Canucks were hosting the 2025 Centennial Cup, the National Junior 'A' Championship, guaranteeing them a spot in the event. Byrne appeared in 40 games for the Canucks last season, scoring 13 points (6-7-13) on a team that featured just two 2008-born players.
The Canucks went 37-13-4 during the 2024-25 season, finishing first in the AJHL standings. They steamrolled their way through the AJHL playoffs as well, going 12-1 on their way to a second consecutive championship.
Byrne says it was the perfect place for him to be in his development.
"I think it was huge for me," he said. "There are a few big, strong guys on other teams in that league and battling against them really showed me what I need to do to get to that next level. I didn't have any specific expectations heading into that season. The main focus for me was just getting better. Experiencing the junior level with all the travel and commitment was important for me."
Even though the Canucks were guaranteed a spot at the National Championship, Byrne says they didn't want to lean on that heading into the AJHL playoffs.
"That was a big part of our identity as a team," he said. "We weren't trying to be a team that others could say 'they're just here because they're hosting.' The playoffs were so much fun, getting to see playoff hockey at the junior level was really awesome."
After a 3-1 round robin record, with their lone loss being a 7-2 drubbing at the hands of the Rockland Nationals from Ontario, the Canucks were set for a rematch against the Nationals in the semifinal.
This time the Canucks got the job done, but it wasn't without some drama as they won 3-2 in overtime to punch their ticket to the National Championship game.
Down 2-0 heading into the final minute of the second period, the Canucks scored a shorthanded goal with 55 seconds left to head into the intermission down 2-1. They then tied the game with three minutes left in regulation before Hayden Fechner scored the winner 10:57 into overtime. Fechner also assisted on both goals in regulation.
"He was absolutely incredible in that game," said Byrne. "He won us that game. Being in that scenario was so cool. I don't know many 16-year-olds who can say they've played in a game like that."
After a nail-biting win in the semifinal, it was a different story in the championship game as the Canucks cruised to a 7-2 win over the Melfort Mustangs from Saskatchewan, securing the Centennial Cup.
"We were up three or four goals and as the minutes ticked by everyone was just staring at the clock," he said. "We were trying to stay focused, but you could just feel the excitement about all the hard work we put in over the entire year finally paying off. We were trying really hard to hold it together until the final buzzer."
With that experience under his belt, Byrne now looks to return to Tri-City and secure his spot on the opening night roster for the 2025-26 season.
Despite having a National Championship in his back pocket, he knows nothing is guaranteed when he hits the ice in late August.
"I'm looking to prove my way onto the team, because it's not given at all," he said. "I'm just looking to show what I can do and what I can contribute to the team, because that's all I can do. Everything else is out of my control."
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