Paul Byron returns to the ice on Thursday morning

There was a bit of a surprise this morning that the Habs practice facility in Brossard, Quebec. Injured forward Paul Byron took to the ice this morning for the first time since game five of the Stanley Cup Final.

The 32-year-old underwent hip surgery at the end of July and his original timeline would have put him on track to return to game action in January. While that still may be the case, seeing Byron back on the ice this morning is an extremely positive sign. If he is able to return prior to early-January, he would provide a huge boost to Montreal's bottom six, as well as the team's penalty kill which currently sits third last in the entire league at 66.67%.

Byron, a native of Ottawa, Ontario, played in 46 regular season games for the Canadiens during the 2020-21 season where he had 16 points (5 G, 11 A), 12 penalty minutes, and was a plus-five. He added six points (3 G, 3 A) in 22 playoff games, including a shorthanded game winning goal in their opening game of the playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As for the Canadiens, they'll be back in action tonight when they host the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre. Puck drop is set for 7pm ET.

Mesdames et Messieurs. Paul Byron pic.twitter.com/FLf6sOt9Nz— Marc-André Perreault (@MA_PerreaultTVA) November 4, 2021

Je répète. Paul Byron pic.twitter.com/d7SUz4Xkiu— Marc-André Perreault (@MA_PerreaultTVA) November 4, 2021

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