WINNIPEG - A few rare smiles crossed Dustin Byfuglien’s face as reporters crowded around him after practice Tuesday.The Winnipeg Jets defenceman is enjoying a season thats brought him accolades from the NHL and praise from his teammates and coach for being a special player.The NHL’s first star of the week after collecting six points in four games, Byfuglien will take part in the league’s all-star game in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend.The recognition is coming during a season he says has him feeling more confident and settled in his personal and professional life.Byfuglien was married last summer to long-time girlfriend Emily Hendry, and in early December head coach Paul Maurice moved him from forward to his preferred position on defence after injuries felled a number of blue-liners.I think making her my wife finally has helped out and made things good, he said with a smile. I think just all around. Just going back to defence, I just like getting out of my bed and just going to work. It’s something that I enjoy and just kept going with it.The Jets (25-14-8) are on a four-game win streak as they get set to host Columbus (20-21-3) on Wednesday for their last game before the all-star break. They hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, five points ahead of Calgary.The 29-year-old Byfuglien said there’s absolutely no doubt he’s playing better defence than in the past.Former Jets head coach Claude Noel had moved Byfuglien to forward in early January 2014. When Noel was fired a few days later and replaced by Maurice, the new coach kept him in that spot.Byfuglien noted the Jets have been playing different systems with Maurice and that’s had an impact on everyone.As a team we’ve changed our game so much, he said. The way we play, and the way we played back then, it’s way different. We feed off each other and you can make plays.And the six-foot-five, 260-pound Byfuglien has been making plays and putting up points.In 47 games, he has 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points. But 20 of those points have come in the 21 games he’s played defence since Dec. 5.He’s unlike anyone, Jets forward Blake Wheeler said of Byfuglien. He’s special in a lot of ways.That includes Byfuglien’s physical presence, but also his instincts on the ice and the way he reads plays and intercepts pucks, Wheeler explained.He’s been dominant since he’s been back on (defence) especially, and he’s been a huge reason for our success.Byfuglien hasn’t really changed this season, but he may be feeling better about the way his game is viewed, Wheeler said.I think he’s just comfortable now and I think he feels appreciated, he said. I think he felt under-appreciated before, you know, with a lot of the things he does and the things he tries to do.It can be frustrating as a player to come to work everyday and, kind of, it’s almost like a puppy. You hit him on the head and he keeps coming back for love, and if you don’t get it, it can sometimes wear on you a little bit.I think this year he feels appreciated, he feels like what he does is impactful on what we’re trying to do as a team.Byfuglien said he’s been following what Maurice has told him to do since he switched back to defence.Little things. Doing what I do and not get out of the game plan, Byfuglien said. Just stick with it and everything will just come.The player fans love to call Big Buff has also turned up his physical game.Rookie defenceman Ben Chiarot has been paired with Byfuglien and said the veteran is helping him make the transition. His friends and family ask him what Byfuglien is like and he tells them he’s a fun guy who likes to joke around on and off the ice.He also enjoys watching Byfuglien’s physical game.He’s so strong and so much bigger than everyone else, he just manhandles guys out there, Chiarot said. It’s like he’s playing with kids sometimes, so that’s fun to watch and it’s been impressive to see.Maurice said it might not be fair to say Byfuglien is exceeding his expectations on the blue-line.There’s never been a doubt that he’s a special player, he said. He can really do whatever he sets his mind to do.What the future holds for Byfuglien really depends on how having all the defencemen healthy will affect the minutes played, he said. The Blue Jackets contest may feature the return of defenceman Jacob Trouba, who’s missed 16 games with an upper-body injury. Trouba practised Tuesday and is awaiting medical clearance. He’s the last of four key defencemen to return after the rash of injuries.I’m in no hurry to get him out of there by any means, Maurice said. He’s a defenceman right now and he’s one of the best in the league right now so there’s no need to change that.Note: The Jets and CFLs Blue Bombers announced Tuesday that they were unable to finalize a date to host the Heritage Classic outdoor game at Investors Group Field next season and are very hopeful that a date can be secured early in the 2016-17 season. Nick Chubb Jersey . The Bruins forward has been fined $5,000 by the National Hockey League for spearing Red Wings defenceman Danny DeKeyser in the groin. Jim Brown Jersey . 8 Sergio Parisse for its penultimate Six Nations match against Ireland at Lansdowne Road. http://www.officialclevelandbrownspro.co...-browns-jersey/. The former Edmonton Oilers defenceman was with the St. Louis Blues in training camp on a professional tryout. Whitney, 30, had four goals and 13 points in 34 games with the Oilers last season. Denzel Ward Jersey . Grimes signed a $32 million, four-year contract to remain with Miami. The deal, which includes $16 million guaranteed, rewards Grimes for his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss almost all of the 2012 season. Cleveland Browns Jerseys . The former central defender calmly nodded it down and quietly went about celebrating a win with his staff. For a man who has had a lot on his shoulders this season, it was an appropriate moment.SAN DIEGO -- Less than five months after having back surgery, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray propelled Britain into the next round of the Davis Cup and earned some time off. Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. "Im still not quite there yet," said Murray, who beat Donald Young in straight sets on Friday. "Winning matches of that length and quality so soon after the surgery is good. And changing surfaces and stuff. Ive done 13 weeks consecutively without a break of training and playing tournaments to try and get myself back. I need a break now to take some days off after I get back home. I deserve it." Murray won his 18th straight Davis Cup singles match and Britain beat the Americans for the first time since 1935. Britain advanced to the World Group quarterfinals for the first time since 1986. It will face Italy, which defeated Argentina. The United States is relegated to the World Group playoff in September and will need to win to stay in the World Group. The last time Great Britain won in the United States was in 1903 in the World Group Challenge Final at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston. American captain Jim Courier was asked to put that in perspective. "It feels great to be alive in 2014," Courier said. "We certainly dont feel a lot of kinship to the last team that lost to the Brits on American soil since theyve been dead a long time. It has nothing to do with us. We come to play on our own terms." Murray split tiebreakers with Querrey in the first two sets, breezed through the third set in 29 minutes and won the match when Querrey returned a serve long. Murray leaned back and pumped both fists, and then swatted the ball into the stands on the opposite end of the court before joining his teammates in a celebration huddle. Later, he had a hot bath, an ice bath andd other treatment on his back.dddddddddddd Britain clinched the match at 3-1. The fourth singles match was cancelled. Murray reached matched point on Querreys serve in the eighth game of the fourth set before the American won three straight points to stay alive. After falling behind 15-30 in the ninth game, Murray got a new racket. He then double-faulted, giving Querrey break point. Murray won the next three points to clinch the match. In the first-set tiebreaker, Murray was down a mini-break before rallying to win when Querrey hit a drop volley into the net. "I tried to do a little too much with it," Querrey said "Every now and then you miss an easy one. It happened to be at a big moment." Querrey won the second-set tiebreaker on a forehand passing shot and then jumped for joy. Murray immediately rebounded by breaking Querrey twice to go up 4-0 in the third set. He broke Querrey again to win the set in a seventh game that went to deuce four times, clinching it when Querrey hit into the net. Murray said it was important to win the first set "because I felt like I was playing the better tennis for the most part of it. Then he started playing better at the end of the set. He probably played a better tiebreak than me as well. Just missed a couple of shots, like the volley on set point was a bad one, but he got himself into a great position. "If I had lost that it wouldve been tough after having served for it. Yeah, in these sorts of matches, first set can be crucial." Although Murray struggled on clay last year, he said he was surprised the Americans chose that surface for this match. He said the clay might have affected Querrey in his five-set loss to James Ward on Friday. "When we got here the court was pretty slippery and tough to move on," Murray said. "I would say for myself, one of my strengths is my movement on the court. I didnt know if that was something they had done intentionally or just the nature of putting down a temporary clay court. "Obviously it did have a bearing in the tie, you know, for Sam especially. I think his best surface is hard courts. He will have had all his best results on hard courts." 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