Bryce Salvador Biography - Drafted By Tampa Bay, Developed Skills In Ahl, Played Hard Despite Injuries

Professional hockey player

By the time the players' strike and owners' lockout silenced the rinks of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2004 and 2005, Bryce Salvador had become a defensive mainstay of the St. Louis Blues squad. Not a headline-grabbing offensive player, nor a natural talent who immediately shone in what was often a young man's game, Salvador developed his skills slowly but surely. A big, physical player with a straightforward approach to the game, Salvador could look forward to a long NHL career.

Bryce Salvador was born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, on February 11, 1976. Like many youngsters in Canada's prairie towns, he grew up playing hockey, putting on his first pair of skates at age three. Salvador's parents, though, were unusually devoted to his progress, ferrying their son to early morning practices and weekend tournaments whenever necessary. Off the ice, Salvador excelled in school and was a talented musician, mastering the violin, tuba, clarinet, and saxophone.