$31,250,000 worth Quinton Byfield shares the funny story behind his connection with two-time Academy Award winner Quentin Tarantino

Many NHL fans are familiar with LA Kings forward Quinton Byfield. The second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has spent two straight seasons with the LA Kings full-time after getting his feet wet in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. What many fans may not know, however, is that Quinton Byfield was named as such because of his parents' love for famed director Quentin Tarantino.

As the story goes, Byfield's parents were planning to name him Clinton, after his father. While mulling over the decision, the couple decided they would name him after Quentin Tarantino instead.

The iconic film director and two-time Academy Award winner shares no relation to the Byfield family, however, the LA Kings standout's parents are both huge fans of him. That said, they ultimately settled on naming their son Quinton, taking inspiration from Tarantino's first name, while also using the Clinton spelling like his dad's.

During an appearance on the What Chaos! podcast, Quinton Byfield was asked whether or not the story was true, revealing that although it may have been changed a bit, the story is mostly true.

"Maybe the story is a little embellished, but I believe that's the gist of it. It's funny because my dad's name is Clinton, and they named me Quinton, and my godfather's name is Linton as well. So, I guess I’ll have to keep the trend going in the future."

Looking at Quinton Byfield's recent five-year $31.25 extension with the LA Kings

This offseason, Quinton Byfield and the LA Kings agreed to a five-year extension worth $31.25 million. The deal, which runs through the 2028-29 season, was announced by the team on Tuesday after an impressive year with the Kings.

Byfield has continued to showcase impressive growth since being drafted and elevated his game to the next level over the past two years. During the 2022-23 season, his second season primarily playing for the team after splitting time between the NHL and AHL, he logged 22 points over 53 games played.

Last season, Byfield spent the entirety of the season with the Kings, recording 55 points in 80 games. His 35 assists were the fifth-most, while his 55 points were the fourth-most by a player age 22 or younger.

In addition, a press release from the Kings indicated that Quinton Byfield is just one of six players in LA franchise history to record five+ games with more than one goal in a season.

With his impressive play, Byfield has landed himself on the first line along with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe heading into next season. Unless the Kings shake things up, the expectation is that he will likely remain there, given the growth and durability he has shown in recent years.