- Dustin Byfuglien thanked Jets fans in a message after Heritage Classic weekend in Winnipeg
- He called the weekend a goodbye he and his family never got to have
- Read below for what he said about how his Winnipeg chapter ended
Dustin Byfuglien says Heritage Classic weekend gave him the goodbye Winnipeg never got.
The former Jets defenseman and his family shared a message through the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night, thanking fans after he played in the alumni game and was recognized at Princess Auto Stadium before the Jets lost 2-1 to the Canadiens.
Byfuglien opened by explaining what the weekend meant to his family.
“I’ve been trying to find the right words to describe what this weekend meant to our family. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to do it justice. Winnipeg, you gave us something this weekend that I didn’t realize how much I needed. A goodbye we never really got to have.”
He then talked about how his time with the Jets wrapped up. Byfuglien walked away before the 2019-20 season and left $14 million on the table over the final two years of his contract, and there was no farewell tour or lap of honor.
“The way our chapter in Winnipeg ended wasn’t how any of us imagined it would. There were a lot of emotions, a lot left unsaid, and a goodbye that never really happened. For years, I’ve carried a little sadness about that. Not because of the hockey, but because of the people. Because Winnipeg was never just about hockey to us.”
He also wrote about what the city gave his family, saying Winnipeg embraced them, watched their children grow and celebrated with them through years he called incredible.
Byfuglien played the last eight of his 14 NHL seasons in Winnipeg and won a Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010. He helped the Jets reach the Western Conference Final in 2018 and is still considered one of the most popular players in franchise history.
Check out how the Jets introduced Buff before the alumni game on Saturday:
We covered what Byfuglien said at the alumni game on Saturday, when he kept it short and said he was just excited to be around the guys. His longer message shows how much more the weekend meant. The Jets dropped the Heritage Classic itself to Montreal, but this message is the part of the weekend Winnipeg will hold onto.
Byfuglien signed off the same way he started, with gratitude.
“Thank you, Winnipeg. For all of it.”
