Dustin Byfuglien (/ˈbʌflɪn/BUFF-lin;[1] born March 27, 1985) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, and Winnipeg Jets. Drafted as a defenseman, he played both forward and defense in his career, though he generally played defense in his later seasons. Byfuglien helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup in 2010. Byfuglien was the first Black American-born player to win the Stanley Cup. [2] Byfuglien became a professional fisherman after his hockey career.
Early life
Byfuglien was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Cheryl Byfuglien and Rick Spencer. His mother is of Norwegian and Swedish descent, and his father is African-American. Cheryl moved to Roseau, Minnesota, with Dustin to be closer to her family while Rick stayed in Minneapolis to continue college; the two never wed. In Roseau, Byfuglien was exposed to hockey and found an instant love for the sport, which soon turned into a calling. Byfuglien's stepfather, Dale Smedsmo, played four games in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1972, and 110 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA).[3][4] Rick Spencer played college football for the St. Cloud State Huskies.
He spent parts of his first two seasons with the Blackhawks' minor league team at the time, the Norfolk Admirals, and the Blackhawks.
He excelled in his third professional season, becoming the first Rockford IceHogs player to earn the American Hockey League's Player of the Week award, when he scored one goal and had five assists in four games.[6] Byfuglien had seven points in eight games with Rockford before earning a recall on November 3, 2007, to the Chicago Blackhawks and never returned to the IceHogs. He had a goal in his first shift with the Blackhawks in the 2007–08 season on November 3 against the St. Louis Blues and recorded his first career hat-trick against the Phoenix Coyotes on November 30.[7]
He finished tied for fifth on the team with 19 goals and 36 points in the 2009–10 season with the team, all while making a transition to forward throughout the campaign. He played a major role in the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup winning season in 2010, scoring 11 goals with five assists in the playoffs, including three goals in the Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers.[8]
Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets (2010–2020)
On June 24, 2010, Byfuglien was traded by Chicago, along with Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Akim Aliu, to the Atlanta Thrashers for the New Jersey Devils' first (Kevin Hayes) and second round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Marty Reasoner, Joey Crabb and Jeremy Morin.[9] The Thrashers moved Byfuglien back to his natural position of defense, although he had experience as a first-line and second-line winger with the Blackhawks, including the Blackhawks' run to the Stanley Cup in 2010. He became an alternate captain for the Thrashers after a few months into the 2010–11 season. Byfuglien was selected to his first All-Star Game, along with teammate Tobias Enström.[10] In the 2011 All-Star Game's Skill Competition, his slap shot was clocked at 102.5 mph.[11] On February 15, 2011, the Thrashers signed Byfuglien to a five-year, $26 million contract extension.[12]
Byfuglien with the Thrashers in December 2010
He scored 12 goals along with 41 assists during the 2011–12 season that saw the Thrashers move to Winnipeg in the 2011 off-season. Byfuglien appeared in 66 games for the Jets that season and was again invited to the NHL All-Star Game.[13]
Prior to the 2013–14 season, Byfuglien admitted he changed his fitness regime to work more on stickhandling and puck movement.[14] That season, Byfuglien recorded 20 goals and 36 assists for a career high 56 points in 78 games.
After being moved back to his natural position, Byfuglien recorded 12 goals and 35 points in 48 games to start the 2014–15 season. As a result, he was invited to the 2015 NHL All-Star Game as the Jets sole representative.[15] On April 2, 2015, Byfuglien was suspended four games for cross-checking New York Rangers forward J. T. Miller in the head during a March 31 game.[16]
His All-Star streak continued into the following season, as he was invited to his fourth All-Star game. At the time of his selection, Byfuglien has amassed nine goals and 23 points through 40 games.[17] On February 8, 2016, Byfuglien signed a five-year, $38 million contract extension with the Jets to remain with the team through the 2020–21 season.[18]
Byfuglien with the Jets in February 2013
On October 27, 2018, Byfuglien recorded his 500th NHL point in a 2–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the 14th player drafted in the eighth round or later to hit 500 points.[19] He suffered a lower-body injury in a 3–1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on December 27, 2018, and was expected to miss at least 10 games.[20] Byfuglien eventually returned on February 7, 2019, after missing all of the month of January only to be re-injured again a week later with a lower body injury.[21] Despite this setback, Byfiglien returned to the Jets lineup on March 30, 2019, and eventually ended the 2018–19 season by leading the team in penalty minutes with 69 and the Jets qualified for the 2019 playoffs, where he averaged over 25 minutes per game and recorded 8 points in 6 games.[22]
On September 13, 2019, less than three weeks before the 2019–20 season started, he was granted an indefinite personal leave of absence by the Jets.[23] However, he was later suspended by the Jets for not returning to training camp, though later reports indicated this was for salary cap relief.[24] He underwent surgery for a high ankle sprain in late October 2019, without direct involvement of the team.[25]
On February 24, 2020, the Jets announced that Byfuglien would not return for the remainder of the season.[26] On April 17, shortly into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jets and Byfuglien mutually agreed to a contract termination.[27]
Personal life
On August 31, 2011, Byfuglien was arrested on Lake Minnetonka and booked on suspicion of boating while intoxicated.[28] Byfuglien pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two days of community service on July 23, 2012.[29]
^Laws, Kenneth (August 4, 2015). "The Top 10 Americans in the NHL Today". thehockeywriters.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019. He was also clocked at 102.5 mph in the slapshot competition in 2011's All-Star game.
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