Byfield was the first overall pick in the 2018 OHL Draft and won both OHL Rookie of the Year and CHL Rookie of the Year.[1] In 2018–19, he put up 29 goals and 61 points in 64 games.[2]
After his second overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Byfield was signed by the Los Angeles Kings to a three-year, entry-level contract on October 16, 2020.[3] He was assigned to the Kings' American Hockey League (AHL) roster to begin the 2020–21 season where he played on a line with Akil Thomas and Devante Smith-Pelly. His line became the first all-Black line in professional ice hockey since Herb Carnegie, Ossie Carnegie, and Manny McIntyre in the 1940s. During their first game together, Thomas recorded a natural hat-trick and his line combined for six points in the eventual win.[4] On April 28, 2021, Byfield made his NHL debut in a 3–2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.[5] He recorded his first NHL point on May 5, 2021, in a 4–2 win over the Arizona Coyotes.[6]
In October 2021, Byfield fractured his ankle, keeping him from joining the Kings.[7] Byfield eventually returned to the NHL level on January 20, 2022.[8] He scored his first NHL goal in a matchup against the New York Islanders on January 27, in a 3–2 win over the New York Islanders.[9] On April 25, 2023, Byfield scored his first NHL Playoff goal in a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.[10]