Dustin Byfuglien was only with the Blackhawks for one of their three recent Stanley Cups, but he left an impression in his time with the team.
Troy Brouwer, who was teammates with Byfuglien in the minors and with the Blackhawks, talked about him on the Be Chicago show on NBC Sports Chicago on Wednesday.
“I’ll start by saying that guy was a freak, on and off the ice,” Brouwer said. “His hockey ability is second to none. The guy can skate for days, he’s the strongest guy you’ll ever meet. There’s so many things you can keep going down.”
Byfuglien was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2003 and made his NHL debut in 2005. He became a fan favorite during the 2010 run, but was traded to Atlanta 15 days after the Blackhawks won the Cup. He has remained with the now-Winnipeg Jets ever since.
MORE BLACKHAWKS: What's next for Blackhawks after John McDonough's exit?
Brouwer also warned that you had to keep your guard up when Byfuglien was around. He was a bit of a prankster.
“He’s one of the funniest guys you’ll ever meet,” Brouwer said. “There’s never a day where you weren’t walking into the dressing room on guard when he walked into the room because you knew he was going to try to do something to you or play a prank or do something.”
NHL
BECHICAGO: Donate to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund
Brouwer also talked about the bond the young players on that team had from playing in the minors together. Kris Versteeg, Dave Bolland also came up with Brouwer and Byfuglien.
“Just to have that friendship and to know the guy,” Brouwer said of Byfuglien. “He kept it light. He was one of those guys that comes in as a younger guy, but has that mentality where he fits in with the older guys and makes everybody laugh. Then he goes out on the ice and just absolutely destroys teams night in and night out. Having him on that team I think was a huge personality that fit into a great group of guys that kept everybody on edge, but also kept everybody honest and laughing.”
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Blackhawks easily on your device.