Player's Profile
Picture Courtesy of www.theahl.com
- Name: Byron Bitz
- Position: RW
- Shoots: Right
- Height: 6-4
- Weight: 220 lbs
- Birthdate: 1984-07-21
- Eligible for Draft: 2002
- Drafted:
- Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Acquired: 4th round (107th overall, 2003
- Playing In: Pro
Byron Bitz
Prospect Grade: 6.5 C (About Prospect Grades)
Profile Contributed By: HF Staff
History
2002-03: Played the season in the BCHL for the Nanaimo Clippers and led the team in scoring.He committed to playing for Cornell in the ECAC the following season.
2003-04: Bitz was expected to contribute right away when he arrived at Cornell and had a fairly productive freshman season, scoring 5 goals and tallying 21 points in 31 games played. In his first game with the squad he had two goals and an assist earning ECAC rookie of the week honors.
2004-05: He missed games due to injury early on, but went on to play in 29 for the Big Red in the season. He had a five game point streak in January 2005
2005-06: Stayed healthy and bounced back to finish second on the team in scoring with 28 points. Out of ten total goals scored, six were powerplay goals and two were game-winning goals. He had personal college career highs in goals, assists, total points and penalty minutes.
2006-07: As a senior, he served as captain of a very young Big Red squad, and finished second on the team in scoring. He was named to the ECAC Third Team and the First Team All-Ivy League.
Signed to an entry level contract by the Bruins.
2007-08: Played his rookie season with the Providence Bruins (AHL). He missed a number of games due to injury in the early half of the season that slowed his development. Played with much more confidence in the latter half of the season and played a larger role on offense.
Read this April 2008 Hockey's Future Q&A with Bitz here
Talent Analysis
For a big guy Bitz is solid on his skates. His ability to see the ice well will further help his development as he has the size and strength to play the role of a power forward. He’s also had success on the power play and does have considerable scoring potential.
“I think for him to be a complete player he needs to be more aggressive shooting -- he’s always looking to pass the puck,” said Cornell assistant coach Scott Garrow. “You look at his stats, and for a kid his size he should really be scoring more goals. He’s one of those players that when he makes his way to the puck and gets his feet moving, teams just can’t stop him. It’s something we’ve seen more and more, but haven’t seen quite enough of yet.”
Future
A big body with some offensive ability, Bitz is likely a third or fourth line player in the NHL. He will play his second professional season with the Providence Bruins in 2008-09.
Stats
| SEASON | TEAM | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2003-04 | Cornell University (ECAC) | 31 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 36 |
| 2004-05 | Cornell University (ECAC) | 29 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 |
| 2005-06 | Cornell University (ECAC) | 35 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 52 |
| 2006-07 | Cornell University (ECAC) | 29 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 49 |
Profile Last Updated: March, 18th 2009
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