Dane Byers

Dane Byers (born February 21, 1986 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player with the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. He was drafted by the New York Rangers 48th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Prince Albert Raiders
Byers beganhis junior hockey career with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL in 2002-03, where he scored eight goals and 14 points in 49 games. Byers returned to the Raiders in 2003-04, as he scored nine goals and 17 points in 51 games, then he added a goal and three points in six playoff games. Byers appeared in 65 games with the Raiders in 2004-05, scoring 11 goals and 20 points, while accumulating 181 penalty minutes. Byers had a strong playoff run, scoring four goals and 10 points in 17 games. Byers broke out offensively in the 2005-06 season, scoring 21 goals and 48 points in 71 games, however, the Raiders failed to qualify for the playoffs.

New York Rangers
After his junior season ended with the Prince Albert Raiders, the New York Rangers assigned Byers to the Hartford Wolf Pack to finish the 2005-06 season. Byers had two assists in five games with Hartford. He spent the entire 2006-07 season with the Wolf Pack, where Byers had 17 goals and 47 points, along with 213 penalty minutes in 78 games. In seven playoff games, Byers scored two goals. Byers returned to Hartford for the 2007-08 season, where he had 23 goals and 46 points in 73 games. In five playoff games, Byers had a goal and three points. He also made his NHL debut during the 2007-08 NHL season, going pointless in one game with the New York Rangers.

Byers missed most of the 2008-09 season due to a knee injury suffered during a game against the Worcester Sharks on October 31, 2008. In nine games, Byers had four goals and seven points, and he returned for the playoffs for Hartford, where Byers had three goals and four points in six games. Byers rebounded from his injury shortened season in 2009-10, as he had 25 goals and 52 points in 74 games with the Wolf Pack. Byers also appeared in five games with the Rangers, scoring his first NHL goal against Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild on October 30, 2009. Several days later, Byers was given an automatic one-game suspension by the NHL for instigating a fight with forward Tanner Glass in the final five minutes of a 4–1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on November 3.

Byers began the 2010-11 season with Hartford, where in 16 games he had three goals and nine points. On November 11, 2010, the Rangers traded Byers to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Chad Kolarik.

Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets assigned Byers to the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, where Byers had nine goals and 25 points in 48 games. Byers was once again on the move, as on February 28, 2011, Byers and Rostislav Klesla were traded from the Blue Jackets to the Phoenix Coyotes for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto. As a result of the midseason trades. Byers was able to set an AHL record for most games played in a season, with 84. But, on July 11, 2011, he was signed to go back to the Jackets.

Family
Byers' brother Cole Byers is also a professional hockey player who plays for the Hull Stingrays of the British Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). The brothers are also cousins of former NHL enforcer-turned-radio host Lyndon Byers.