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Byron Dafoe was drafted 35th overall in the 1989 Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals. Three years later, he made his NHL debut with one minute of relief goaltending on November 11, 1992 against the Rangers. In 1993-94, Byron played five games and earned his first win March 31 against the Blackhawks. In 1994-95, Byron played four games with the Capitals. On July 8, 1995, Byron was traded with Dmitri Khristich to the Los Angeles Kings for a pair of draft picks (first and fourth rounds). That year, Byron split goaltending duties with Kelly Hrudey. Byron posted his first shutout on November 7 against the Blues. In 1996-97, Byron shared goaltending duties with Stéphane Fiset and posted a 3.11 goals-against average.
On August 29, 1997, Byron was traded with Dmitri Khristich to the Boston Bruins for Jozef Stümpel, Sandy Moger and a fourth round draft pick. In his first season with his new team, Byron played 65 games and posted 30 wins, six shutouts and a 2.24 GAA. More importantly, he led the Bruins to a 30-point improvement in the standings as the Bruins made the playoffs for the first time in two years. In the playoffs, Byron posted a shutout and a 1.99 GAA in six games. In 1998-99, Byron posted a 1.99 GAA and paced the league with ten shutouts. He went 32-23-11 and was a Second Team All-Star. In the playoffs, Byron led the Bruins to the second round.
In 1999-2000, Byron was limited to 41 games as he suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss the final 23 games of the season. In 2000-01, he went 22-14-7 with a 2.39 GAA. On October 4, 2001, the night the Bruins retired Raymond Bourque's sweater number 77, Byron stopped 21 shots in a 4-2 win over the Mighty Ducks.
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