Players running afoul of the law is never a good thing to hear about. That’s why when Minnesota radio contributor Darren Wolfson tweeted details about how Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien was arrested in Minnesota’s Hennepin County last night it came as a shock.
Byfuglien was brought in after being booked on a charge of boating while intoxicated and, according to Wolfson, refused to take a sobriety test. Doing that is a quick way to getting booked and that’s just what happened to Byfuglien as he was arrested and released later in the night.
Even more stunning to read was Wolfson’s report on what Byfuglien weighed in at when he was brought in. Let’s just say that if Byfuglien plays at the weight he checked into Hennepin County Sheriff’s with, opposing forwards should remember to get the number of the Mack truck that hit them.
At 6'5" having Byfuglien weighing in at 286 is remarkable if that’s indeed the case. Considering that hockey players are always a bit leaner than your regular athlete makes this revelation all the more stunning. It’s not as if Byfuglien has ever been a small guy, just ask Roberto Luongo about that when it came to seeing around him in the playoffs back in 2010.
You wonder if perhaps the weight he was listed at as playing was one of those cases where things are downplayed in the game program to keep up appearances. Of course, bending the numbers by 40 pounds would be a pretty gross downplaying of the truth. Here’s to hoping the folks in Winnipeg don’t mind their newest semi-local star coming into camp being known as the “Jumbo Jet.”
I’ll see myself out.
(Thanks to Hockey Wilderness for the tip)