Byfuglien and Hellebuyck: Why Did Winnipeg Treat Them Differently?

What a wild few days in Winnipeg, with Connor Hellebuyck returning and fans making their feelings known. While understandable, it was also a problematic story that brought up a lot of different thoughts and memories. One of them, for me, was the interesting comparison between Dustin Byfuglien and Connor Hellebuyck, two important Winnipeg Jets who decided, in very different ways, it was time to move on.

Related: The Jets Without Hellebuyck Now Have Different Problems

Looking Back at Byfuglien’s Choice to Leave the Jets.

When Byfuglien walked away from hockey in 2019, fans were disappointed. How could they not be? Big Buff was one of the most popular players in the team's history. He was a force on the ice, a personality in the dressing room, and a player who seemed to enjoy life on his own terms.

Byfuglien's departure stemmed from an ankle injury, family considerations, and the demands of the game. He and the Jets eventually agreed to terminate his contract. He was only 34 when he stepped away, had two years remaining on his deal, and left a reported $14 million on the table. Fishing and the outdoors offered another kind of life, and he seems to have embraced it.

There was no shortage of disappointment, but I don't remember the same kind of personal anger directed at him. In fact, when Byfuglien returned to Winnipeg recently for the Jets' Heritage Classic alumni festivities, he received a very warm welcome.

Now Let’s Look at Hellebuyck’s Decision to Leave Winnipeg.

Hellebuyck spent 11 seasons with the Jets, won three Vezina Trophies and became one of the most important players in the franchise's history. He wanted to leave, but his decision was not simply about wanting a change of scenery. He has said that incidents involving his family, including more than just online death threats, helped make his decision certain. He has chosen not to discuss the other experiences in detail.

The two situations are different. Byfuglien walked away from the game. Hellebuyck wanted a trade and a chance to continue his career elsewhere. Fans can certainly see those decisions differently. But here's what I find interesting. Why was Byfuglien's decision to walk away accepted, while Hellebuyck's decision to leave has become such a personal issue for some fans?

Is it because fans felt Hellebuyck owed Winnipeg something more? Was it the way the departure unfolded? Or did his importance to the team make the disappointment feel more like rejection?

Jets Fans Have a Right to Be Disappointed.

I don't pretend to know the answer. And I'm not suggesting Jets fans don't have a right to be disappointed. They do. But professional athletes are allowed to make choices about their careers and their families. Byfuglien chose a life away from hockey. Hellebuyck chose a different hockey future, with his family's well-being part of the decision.

Perhaps the lesson is that we can love what a player gave our team without believing we own the next chapter of his life.

Related: 5 Things You Might Not Know About the Jets' Dustin Byfuglien