Quinton Byfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quinton Byfield |
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Byfield with the Los Angeles Kings in 2023
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| Born | August 19, 2002 Newmarket, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) | ||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team | Los Angeles Kings | ||
| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 2020 Los Angeles Kings |
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| Playing career | 2021–present | ||
Quinton Byfield, born on August 19, 2002, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a centre for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Kings chose him second overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He was the highest-drafted Black player in NHL history. Quinton first played in the NHL in 2021.
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Early Life and Hockey Start
Quinton Byfield grew up in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. His father, Clinton, is from Jamaica, and his mother, Nicole, is Canadian. They met when his mom was a student in Toronto. Quinton has an older sister, Chloe, and an older half-sister. Even though his parents did not play hockey, they built an ice rink in their backyard. This allowed Quinton and his friends to play hockey often.
When he was a teenager, Byfield was named the Most Valuable Player. This was at the 2015 Mini Chowder Cup tournament. At age 15, he played top-level AAA hockey in the Toronto area. There, he met former NHL player Gary Roberts. Roberts encouraged Quinton to join his special training program.
Professional Hockey Career
Quinton Byfield was chosen first overall by the Sudbury Wolves in the 2018 OHL Draft. The OHL is a major junior hockey league. He won both the OHL Rookie of the Year and the CHL Rookie of the Year awards. In the 2018–19 season, he scored 29 goals and had 61 points in 64 games.
After being picked second overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Byfield signed a three-year contract. This was with the Los Angeles Kings on October 16, 2020. He started the 2020–21 season with the Kings' minor league team, the Ontario Reign. He played on a line with Akil Thomas and Devante Smith-Pelly. This line was special because it was the first all-Black line in professional ice hockey since the 1940s.
Byfield made his NHL debut on April 28, 2021. He got his first NHL point on May 5, 2021. In October 2021, he broke his ankle, which kept him from playing for a while. He returned to the NHL on January 20, 2022. Quinton scored his first NHL goal on January 27, 2022, against the New York Islanders. On April 25, 2023, he scored his first NHL Playoff goal.
On July 16, 2024, Byfield signed a new five-year contract with the Kings. This contract is worth $31.25 million.
International Hockey Play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Canada |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2020 Czech Republic | |
| Silver | 2021 Canada | |
Quinton Byfield has also played for Canada in international tournaments. He won a silver medal at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also won a gold medal with Canada at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic. He had one assist in seven games during that tournament. In 2021, he won a silver medal with Canada at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He scored two goals and had five assists in seven games.
Career Statistics Summary
Quinton Byfield has played many games in different leagues. Here is a summary of his career totals:
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 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Ontario Reign | AHL | 11 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 40 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Ontario Reign | AHL | 16 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 53 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 80 | 20 | 35 | 55 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 81 | 23 | 31 | 54 | 46 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 260 | 51 | 91 | 142 | 140 | 19 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 | ||||
International Play Summary
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Canada Black | U17 | 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 Special Recognitions
Quinton Byfield has received several awards for his hockey skills:
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| Emms Family Award | 2018–19 | |
| CHL | ||
| CHL Rookie of the Year | 2018–19 | |
