Byron ready to show he belongs

The Ottawa Sun ran a quick hit in today's edition about hometown star Paul Byron's tryout with Team Canada. Byron forever having to prove himself:

"He knows it doesn't matter how small I am, he's not going to overlook the size of my heart and what I try to do to win," said Byron, a speedy forward who scored 21 goals in 19 playoff games last season. Groulx said Byron "will no doubt one day get a chance to play in pro hockey," but sorry, he'll have to earn his spot on the junior team like everyone else. "He's been invited here because he had a very good season," said Groulx. "It'll be a good challenge to see how he fits among the top guys in the country."

Clocking in well below the average height and weight of most developing NHL prospects, the diminuitive Byron has been dealing with size questions since day one. An Ontario native, it took a QMJHL club to realize his potential as an offensive dynamo after being turned away by the OHL. Two years later, Byron has put himself on the map as one of the CHL's elite offensive forces. Most eyes will be elsewhere this week as Byron enters his first foray into national team contention (fellow Sabres prospects Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis are likely to garner more attention). This should allow the speedster to play his game and stake his claim with Coach Groulx while ramping up into Buffalo's training camp later this fall. Team Red will faceoff against Team White in the first scrimmage of camp tonight at 6:00.