Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the NHL Player's Association has officially filed a grievance over the suspension of Dustin Byfuglien of the Winnipeg Jets.
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 in October. 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.
At the time, Winnipeg's head coach Paul Maurice says Byfuglien's suspension was "absolutely prodedural", a way to free up cap space while the big blueliner contemplated his NHL future.
Byfuglien is likely to need until January to recover from the surgery. The issue over his suspension is likely headed to arbitration as it is expected the league will appeal the grievance.
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