Having been drafted 220th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft directly out of Madison Memorial High School, Byce walked-on to the Wisconsin Badgers team, where he was redshirted for his freshman season. After a largely unproductive sophomore season, Byce played well in his third year at Madison, scoring 34 points in 41 games as the Badgers claimed the WCHA Championship. In his fourth year on campus Byce was named as an alternate captain for the team and further increased his scoring; tallying 55 points in 42 games. The Badgers lost in the play-off semi finals, however Byce was named as a Second All-Team WCHA All-Star. Byce would continue as an alternate captain during his final year in Madison, and would again increase his scoring, totalling 71 points in 46 games. Wisconsin would again win the WCHA championship, and Byce would again be named as a Second All-Team WCHA All-Star. The Badgers would go on to win the NCAA Championship, which Byce scoring a hat-trick in the championship final. For his efforts, he would be named to the All Tournament Team.
In addition to hockey, Byce was also a talented baseball player, playing as an outfielder. During the 1987 season, he set a school record for 9 consecutive hits, and also earned first-team all-Big Ten honors as a designated hitter.
Upon the culmination of his collegiate career, Byce was signed by the Boston Bruins and played in the Stanley Cup Finals. Thus he became the first player to have won an NCAA Championship and compete for the Stanley Cup in the same season. His first taste of regular season play was during the 1990-91 season, where he played 18 games for the Bruins, registering 4 points. The majority of his season was spent with the Bruins AHL affiliate team, the Maine Mariners, for whom Byce registered 48 points in 53 games. Byce would again spend most of his time in the AHL for the 1991-92 season, featuring in only 3 Bruins games. In February 1992, Byce and Mariners team mate Dennis Smith were traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Brent Hughes. As a result, Byce finished the season with the Capitals AHL affiliate Baltimore Skipjacks. Byce would return to the Skipjacks for the 1992-93 season, tallying 79 points in 62 games.

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