Dustin Byfuglien is reportedly done with hockey

The Dustin Byfuglien era with the Winnipeg Jets officially ended last week, and it didn’t take long for fans to wonder what would come next for the veteran defenseman. 

Byfuglien has not played for the Jets, or any team, since April 20, 2019, however, with the blue liner and the Jets “mutually resolving” the grievance he filed last year, his contract has been terminated and he could get a deal somewhere else in the NHL.

But for some reporters, it sounds like Big Buff could be done with hockey. John Shannon recently revealed that numerous sources suggest Byfuglien’s NHL career is over…”He has no interest in playing”.

We all remember how this all started when Byfuglien refused to show up at the Jets training camp at the start of the season. On September 13, 2019, the blue liner was granted an indefinite personal leave of absence by the team. However, he was later suspended by the Jets for not returning to training camp, though later reports indicated this was for salary cap relief. He underwent surgery for a high ankle sprain in late October, 2019, without direct involvement of the team. 

Byfuglien’s camp claimed that surgery was a result of injuries suffered during the previous regular season and playoffs and the Jets should have paid for it. Winnipeg claimed Byfuglien had been given a clean bill of health at the end of the 2018-19 season. This is what led to the grievance being filed. On February 24, 2020, the Jets announced that Byfuglien would not return for the remainder of the season.

When his contract was terminated, many assumed that Buff could settle for a smaller deal with another team, however, it sounds like he may not be willing to accept less money to finish his career in the NHL. 

Byfuglien hasn’t officially retired from the game yet, but we are starting to wonder if that is the next step to come. 

The 35-year-old defenseman tallied four goals and 27 assists for a total of 31 points in 42 games in 2018-19. These might be his last stats on record for the NHL.