Man of the hockey people
On 9th October, the puck will drop to get the Winnipeg Jets regular season underway. It’s been 15 years since NHL left Winnipeg and expectations will be high.
One of the players who the franchise will hope help meet these expectations is Dustin Byfuglien. Not just by his, seemingly, expanding frame Byfuglien will be a big player for the Jets in 2011-12 and needs to perform consistently. However, there are many questions to pose regarding whether Byfuglien can actually shoulder the responsibility.
On 31st August, Byfuglien was arrested for BWI (boating while intoxicated) and jailed for 3 hours. He allegedly refused to give a blood or urine test and, by this, encouraged all kinds of rumours about the real reason for not giving a test to the Sherriff’s office. Although the incident isn’t exactly a major crime, Canada is notoriously stringent on allowing visitors with alcohol-related convictions. This will cause major embarrassment to the Jets and cause the Canadian government a headache if they are considering allowing Byfuglien easy entry. The telling quote, on the incident, comes from Byfuglien’s stepfather: “He’s got to grow up”.
One thing that is definitely bound to keep the Jets firmly on the runway is Byfuglien’s weight. During the off season, there have been various photographs showing an unimpressive weight gain. Much like boxer Ricky Hatton, Byfuglien seems to eat handsomely during the offseason and then attempts to make weight for the season. Again, the rumour mill was flowing with stories of Byfuglien weighing in at a massive 285 lbs. His recorded weight according to the Jets website is 265 lbs. Even on a 6’ 5” frame, this seems rather heavy for a professional hockey player.
On the face of it, being able to play defence or attack is a good thing. Yes? I’m not so sure with Byfuglien. He’s played both for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Atlanta Thrashers. But what is his best position? A defenseman with a penchant for goals or a winger built like a brick wall? Perhaps sticking to one would bring out the real talent of Byfuglien. I question whether the Blackhawks chose to trade Byfuglien for more reasons that just juggling salary cap. After all, he’d had a good post season (11 goals and 5 assists) ending with a Stanley Cup victory.
I like the fact that Dustin Byfuglien has flaws. He’s more like me and you, and fans love that. However, the expectation is that he’ll still play like Superman. He needs more Superman-like efforts to keep the hockey hungry Manitoba crowds happy. He’s already a “rock star”, according to the Toronto Sun, in Winnipeg. He has been built up already; I fear how far he’ll fall after his impending court case in his home state of Minnesota. I’m hoping Big Buff doesn’t end up as Duff.
