Few players are more synonymous with the 2.0 era of the Winnipeg Jets than Blake Wheeler.
And on Monday, Wheeler will return to Winnipeg for the first time as a member of the New York Rangers as part of the Monday Night Hockey broadcast on Sportsnet.
“I have such a love for that place and everything it’s meant to me personally, my career, my family, all the friendships we have there still,” Wheeler said in an interview with NHL.com. “It’ll be kind of a nice way to celebrate a long tenure there.”
Wheeler arrived in Winnipeg when the Atlanta Thrashers were relocated in 2011 and exploded offensively as the new Jets emerged as a playoff contender in the West. He peaked with back-to-back 91-point seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19 and is the Jets’ 2.0 all-time leader in assists (540) and points (795).
Wheeler captained the Jets for six seasons and helped them reach the playoffs in six of his 12 seasons. The final year of his contract was bought out by the Jets this summer and he landed with the Rangers in free agency.
“All things come to an end,” Wheeler told NHL.com. “I think it was just good timing for myself and for the team to move on. I’m happy they’re in good hands going forward and it’s a team that is going to be a good team for a long time. Down the road I look forward to cheering for them.”
Wheeler arrives in Winnipeg still looking for his first point in a Rangers uniform after eight games. He should be highly motivated to get on the scoreboard on his former home ice.