Introduction
Quinton Byfield (born August 19, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for theLos Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Byfield was selected second overall by the Kings in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, becoming the highest drafted mixed race player in NHL history. He is of Jamaican descent from his father, Clinton.
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. In 2018–19, he put up 29 goals and 61 points in 64 games.
After his second overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Byfield was signed by the Los Angeles Kings to a three-year, entry-level contract on October 16, 2020. He was assigned to Kings' American Hockey League (AHL) roster to begin the 2020–21 season where he played on a line with Akil Thomas and Devante Smith-Pelly. His line became the first all-black line in professional hockey since Herb Carnegie, 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 debut in a 3–2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. In October 2021, Byfield Fractured his ankle; Delaying what was a potential inside track to be the Kings 4th Line Center.
International play
Byfield won a silver medal at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Byfield won a Gold Medal with Canada at the 2020 World Junior Championships held in the Czech Republic, posting 1 assist in 7 games. Byfield won a silver medal with Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championships Held in Canada, Posting 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points in 7 games.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2017–18 | Newmarket Hurricanes | OJHL | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Sudbury Wolves | OHL | 64 | 29 | 32 | 61 | 38 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 | ||
| 2019–20 | Sudbury Wolves | OHL | 45 | 32 | 50 | 82 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Ontario Reign | AHL | 32 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Canada Black | U17 | 5th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | |
| 2019 | Canada | HG18 | 
|
5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2020 | Canada | WJC | 
|
7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2021 | Canada | WJC |
|
7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 24 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 24 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| Emms Family Award | 2018–19 | |
| CHL | ||
| CHL Rookie of the Year | 2018–19 | |