Name: Ryan O’Byrne
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Height: 6’5
Weight: 210
Birthdate: 7-19-84
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia
Acquired: 2003 NHL Draft, 3rd round (79th)
Strengths
Has great size, skates well for such a big guy. Likes to contribute offensively, while playing a physical game. Should get a ton of great experience playing for the University of Cornell, who are a highly ranked team, that plays a solid defensive system.
Weaknesses
Playing in the BCJHL, against a lower level of skill may make for a tough transition to the NCAA. May look to add some weight to his 6’5 frame.
Stats
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2002-03 | Nanaimo | BCHL | 41 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 118 |
| 2003-04 | Cornell University | NCAA | 31 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 71 |
| 2004-05 | Cornell University | NCAA | 33 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 68 |
HW Updates, by Dan Linn
Canadiens Mid-season Top 20 – 12. Ryan O’Byrne- D. (20th) O’Byrne makes a big move up as he has shown some impressive size and skills while playing his first season in the ECAC for one of the top programs in college hockey, Cornell University. A physical defensemen, who has great skating ability especially when you consider his 6’5 frame, O’Byrne also can move the puck in a hurry or lead the rush up ice.
March 2004 – Playoffs – Cornell– Ryan O’Byrne may have seen his first season in the NCAA come to an early end, as his team lost to Clarkson even though they were the heavy favorites to win not only the round but the entire conference as they did last year. But they still have a chance to play in the froze four, as their regular season record could get them a bid possibly. Even though O’Byrne recorded only two assists all season, he still gained a lot of valuable experience playing in one of the better defensive system in the NCAA.
February 2004 – O’Byrne is still held pointless, but he has been able to play in every game with the exception of being suspended for one game for fighting which is not allowed in the NCAA. While he hasn’t been able to produce any points, he does lead his team in penalty minutes as he continues to play an aggressive physical game. Cornell’s season is coming to an end, but O’Byrne should get valuable experience in the playoffs which get under way in a few weeks.
January 2004 – O’Byrne has yet to record a point, but he does continue to lead the team in penalty minutes, and he has been able to play in every game so far, getting around 15-16 minutes a game. Cornell is coming off it’s first ever championship win in the Everblades classic, as they beat some top notch teams to win the tournament, and O’Byrne was an important part of that win as he used his size well and played a physical game. Cornell uses a left wing lock system, so this gives the right defense a chance to pinch in often.
December 2003 – O’Byrne has yet to record a point, but he does lead the team in penalty minutes, and he has been able to play in every game so far. Playing for a strongly coached team should be a great experience for O’Byrne. Cornell sits 2nd overall in their conference the ECAC.
November 2003 – After leaving the BCJHL for the NCAA, O’Byrne has been able to play in every game so far for Cornell University, one of the top teams in the NCAA. They currently sit atop the ECAC conference. O’Byrne has yet to record a point, but he does lead the team in penalty minutes with 20. Playing for a strongly coached team should be a great experience for O’Byrne.
October 2003 – Has yet to play a game this season, but Cornell will open their season this Friday night. His team did play an exhibition game against the U-18 Team USA, where they won 7-2, but no points for O’Byrne.
September 2003 – Will be starting his season at Cornell. Their season starts on October 31st.