Dustin Byfuglien

Dustin Ray Byfuglien ( /baɪfuːɡliən/ by-FOO-glee-ən or local /ˈbʌflɨn/ BUF-lin; born March 27, 1985) is an American professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. His known nickname is "Big Buff," made up by his teammates. Drafted as a defenseman, he has played both forward and defense in his career. Byfuglien was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Cheryl Byfuglien and father Ricky Spencer. His mother is of Norwegian descent, and his father is African American. Cheryl moved to Roseau, Minnesota, with Dustin to be closer to her family while Ricky stayed in Minneapolis to continue college; the two never wed. In Roseau, Byfuglien was exposed to the game of hockey where he found an instant love for the sport, which soon turned into a calling. Byfuglien's stepfather, Dale Smedsmo, played four games in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1972, and 110 games in the World Hockey Association. Byfuglien has three half-siblings on his father's side. Due to academic ineligibility in Roseau, Byfuglien first moved to Warrenville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, to play AAA under-18 hockey for the Chicago Mission then moved to Canada