Bayda scored his first career NHL goal against Ed Belfour and the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 18, 2003, in a 4-3 Hurricanes loss.
[3] Bayda in his first full NHL season, played a career-high of 70 games and helped the Hurricanes reach the Eastern Conference finals.
He was assessed for cross-checking Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang in the chin, at the end of game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
[5] Ryan, however, turned down the offer after the Blues signed forward Derek Armstrong and accepted an invitation to the Pittsburgh Penguins training camp instead.
As the season ended, Bayda left as a free agent again and signed a one-year contract with fellow DEL club, the Straubing Tigers on March 26, 2015.