Former Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien and his wife, Emily, shared a heartfelt message to fans in Winnipeg after his involvement in Heritage Classic festivities, calling this past weekend “a goodbye we never really got to have.”
Byfuglien played in the Jets’ alumni game on Saturday and was one of three former Jets to drop the puck at centre ice ahead of Sunday’s Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens outdoors at Princess Auto Stadium.
He indicated the weekend gave him and his family closure after an abrupt end to his Jets career.
“Coming back this weekend and feeling that same love after all these years was overwhelming in the most beautiful way. Every hug, every kind word, every person who stopped us to share a memory or simply say hello reminded me just how special this city and its people truly are,” read part of the Byfuglien family’s message.
“I know the ending was complicated. I know there were feelings on all sides. But this weekend reminded me that sometimes the love and memories you leave behind are bigger than the way a chapter ends.”
Byfuglien played nine seasons with the Jets franchise, making the move with the team from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011. He was a steady presence on the Winnipeg blueline for years and became a fan favourite for his toughness, as he sits third in Jets’ history in penalty minutes (826). All in all, Byfuglien played 609 regular-season games for the Jets and had 16 points in 17 playoff games during the team’s run to the Conference Final in 2018.
But his time with the Jets ended abruptly during the 2019-20 season when he was granted an indefinite personal leave of absence in the summer of 2019 but was then suspended without pay after he failed to report to training camp in September.
He subsequently filed a grievance challenging the suspension and had surgery in October for an ankle issue, which eventually ended his season.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff referred to the situation as “complicated” and said the Jets “weren’t directly involved” in the surgery process.
Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic paused the NHL season, Byfuglien and the Jets mutually agreed to terminate his contract, with him walking away from approximately $14 million in salary on a deal that was supposed to run through the 2020-21 campaign. He also ended his grievance against the club.
Byfuglien did not play another game in the NHL after, with his career coming to a close after 14 seasons, highlighted by a Stanley Cup victory with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.
While Byfuglien did not share more details surrounding the end of his Jets tenure in the message posted Monday, he did put it into perspective compared to the rest of his time in Winnipeg.
“Winnipeg will always hold a piece of my heart. Not because of the games, the wins, or the hockey, but because of the people who made it feel like home.
“Some chapters don’t end the way we hoped. But sometimes, if we’re lucky, we get one more moment to remember just how beautiful they were. Thank you, Winnipeg. For all of it. Xo,” he said.