This is probably the last thing Dustin Byfuglien wants at the moment given his ongoing battle with his team, the Winnipeg Jets. However, the big blueliner, who isn't playing right now, has been dragged into the middle of a political fight between the provinces of Manitoba and Quebec. Quebec is furious at Manitoba's ad campaign aimed at poaching their public sector workers. While discussing it with the media today, Quebec Premier Francois Legault made a really snarky remark regarding Winnipeg's ongoing situation with Byfuglien.
"I think this money would have been better spent on French services in Manitoba," Legault said. "I think [Premier Brian] Pallister must work to keep his own people in Manitoba like Dustin Byfuglien with the Jets."
Anyone following hockey this season likely doesn't require a recap of the Byfuglien situation, but just in case, here it is. Byfuglien was suspended from the Jets without pay after skipping the team's training camp. He has yet to play in a game this season. In the meantime, he has undergone surgery on his ankle to fix an injury his camp says he suffered last season and made worse in the playoffs. Winnipeg claims Byfuglien told them he was retiring, while Big Buff says his absence is related to the ankle injury. Now the whole situation is going to arbitration to decide whether the team should be paying Byfuglien and to decide who is financially responsible for the ankle surgery.
We're sure neither Byfuglien nor the Jets really want to be dragged into this political fight at the moment given everything that's going on between the two sides. Yet, here we are.
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