Perhaps it's a step towards reconciliation, and perhaps it means nothing at all. It's being reported by the Winnipeg Free Press that Dustin Byfuglien, who is currently under suspension by the Winnipeg Jets for not showing up at training camp, is rehabbing his ankle in consultation with the team after undergoing surgery in late October.
According to the WFP, Byfuglien is "working with medical staff at an independent clinic, but there's been “ongoing communication” with the Jets about his treatment.
“To our understanding, he has progressed to the stage of doing rehab. However, his status with the team remains unchanged,” the club told The Free Press.
“He is doing rehab at an outside clinic. He is still under suspension.”
The NHL Player's Association has officially filed a grievance over Byfuglien's suspension. When Byfuglien didn't show up for Winnipeg's training camp in September, he was suspended without pay. It was said he was considering retirement at the time, but it was later revealed he had ankle surgery. The surgery was apparently to fix injuries he suffered playing with the Jets last season. If Byfuglien was deemed unhealthy due to a hockey-related injuries and placed on long-term injured reserve, he could collect his $8 million base salary while recovering.
Byfuglien is likely to need until January to recover from the surgery. The word that he's consulting with the Jets in his rehab may be a step towards him returning to the team once he is healthy.
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