Canadiens Assign O'Byrne and Maxwell to Hamilton

[VodkaFish]

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens announced today that defenseman Ryan O'Byrne and forward Ben Maxwell have been assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League.

Ryan O'Byrne, 24, scored three points (3 assists) and served 23 penalty minutes in 22 games this season with the Canadiens. The 6'6'', 228-pound blueliner averaged 15:43 of ice time per game. O'Byrne was a Canadiens third-round selection, 79th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Ben Maxwell, a rookie with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, was called up by the Canadiens on December 12 and skated in his first NHL game on December 13 against the Capitals at the Bell Centre. The 20-year-old centreman was held scoreless in seven games with Montreal, averaging just under 10 minutes (9:55) of ice time per game. Maxwell was selected by the Canadiens in the second round (49th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

The Bulldogs' next game is scheduled for January 3 against the Syracuse Crunch in Hamilton.