The Winnipeg Jets and Dustin Byfuglien on Friday agreed to mutually terminate the veteran defenseman’s contract after a lengthy dispute.
Byfuglien was suspended in September for failing to report to training camp and filed a grievance through the NHL Players’ Association. He had previously been granted a personal leave of absence before the suspension.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said at the time that Byfuglien was healthy. Then word came in late October that the 36-year-old underwent ankle surgery, and he argued he should be paid while recovering from a hockey-related injury.
The termination of Byfuglien’s contract came after his grievance was resolved. The NHL, NHLPA, Jets and Byfuglien’s camp all worked together to resolve the issue.
“Obviously the way grievances work is under the collective bargaining agreement, it’s really the parties are the league and the Players’ Association,” Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in February. “But in this case, it’s really more of an individual contract issue, so kind of all four parties are involved and we’re trying to work out a sensible solution.”
Cheveldayoff on April 7 said there was no update to Byfuglien’s status.
Byfuglien hasn’t played since Winnipeg’s first-round playoff series last April. He had one year and $6 million left on his contract.
Byfuglien immediately becomes a free agent who can sign with any other team if the NHL season resumes. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Minnesota native has 177 goals and 348 assists in 869 regular-season games with the Blackhawks and Atlanta Thrashers/Jets, and won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010.
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