Longtime Winnipeg Jets standout Blake Wheeler has officially retired from the NHL at the age of 38. An elite playmaker, the forward spent 16 total seasons in the NHL. He finished his career with 943 points (321 goals, 622 assists) in 1,172 regular season games. In 66 career playoff matches, the University of Minnesota alum added 10 goals and 35 assists (45 points).
Wheeler drafted in the Desert, debuted in Beantown
The now-defunct Phoenix Coyotes drafted Wheeler 5th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The Coyotes, of course, took the place of the original WHA/NHL version of the Winnipeg Jets. Today, the franchise is based in Salt Lake City as the Utah Mammoth.
“Wheels” played in the USHL and NCAA for four years after being drafted. he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2008, after he and the Coyotes failed to come to a contract agreement. He signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. Wheeler spend the next three-plus seasons in Boston.
Just before the 2011 trade deadline, the Bruins traded Wheeler and Mark Stuart to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik. At the end of the season, the Thrashers franchise made a seismic directional shift. They went north, far north.
Move to Winnipeg
In the 2011 offseason, the Atlanta Thrashers announced its relocation to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Thus, the Thrashers became the reincarnation of the Jets. Familiar name, different logo.
Wheels quickly became a fan favorite and household name in Winnipeg. He, Andrew Ladd, and Bryan Little made up the Jets’ inaugural top line. Wheeler’s play reached another level when the Jets brought in new head coach Paul Maurice to replace Claude Noel. Although Wheeler’s career took off under Maurice, team success was elusive at first.
The Jets only made the playoffs once in their first six seasons. The Anaheim Ducks swept Winnipeg in the 2025 first round. The Ducks outscored the Jets, 16-9. Wheeler had one point (a goal) in the four-game series.
Becoming the captain
Before the 2016-2017 season began, the Jets appointed Wheeler as their new captain. This move came after Winnipeg traded former captain Ladd at the previous season’s trade deadline. During his captaincy, the Jets soared to new heights.
An unexpected run to the Western Conference Final in 2018 raised the bar for the young Jets team at the time. After this memorable playoff run, Wheeler signed a five-year extension to remain with the club. Meanwhile, Wheeler became an icon in the city with his on-ice production and off-ice contributions to the community. During his captaincy, the Jets became a perennial playoff team.
However, Winnipeg failed to make it back to the Western Conference Final after their memorable 2017-2018 season.
Paul Maurice Departs
After the Jets failed to progress further in the post-season, Maurice abruptly stepped down as the head coach in December 2021. Subsequently, the Jets struggled to get back on track. Behind closed doors, some placed blame on their captain’s shoulders.
When Rick Bowness took over head coaching duties for the 2022-2023 season, he stripped Wheeler of his captaincy. The team played without a captain for the 2022-2023 season.
The decision, understandably, hurt the player’s pride. Following a first-round elimination by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 playoffs, Wheeler asked the Jets to buy out the final year of his contract. Subsequently, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff granted his wish. The player became a free agent in the summer of 2023.
Wheeler rolls off to Manhattan
Wheeler signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers in the summer of 2023. The Rangers went on to win the President’s Trophy in his lone season with the team. He played primarily a bottom-six role at even strength. Through injuries and healthy scratches, he was limited to 54 regular season and one playoff game.
On February 15, 2024, the Rangers played against Montreal Canadiens. During the game, Wheeler fell awkwardly on a hit from Jayden Struble. The veteran forward sustained a serious leg injury. Wheeler was unable to put weight on his right leg. He had to be assisted off the ice.
The right leg injury forced Wheeler to miss the rest of the regular season. The Rangers placed him on long-term IR.
He remained sidelined during the playoffs but eventually returned to practice. The odds of Wheeler playing again seemed slim. However, the vet worked feverishly to be able to return. Almost miraculously, doctors cleared him for the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers. He suited up for Game Four.
Unfortunately, there was no storybook ending. The veteran forward took a hooking penalty in overtime. Florida scored to win the game in sudden death. The Panthers defeated the Rangers in the series and went on to capture their first of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
Where Wheeler ranks leaguewide
The one-game appearance in the 2024 playoffs proved to be the final match of the player’s career. He did not play during the 2024-25 season. Although he started out as a Bruin and finished as a Ranger, the playmaker will always be remembered as a Winnipeg Jet.
Dating back to the renamed Jets’ move from Atlanta through the end of the 2023-24 season, Wheeler ranked 15th in scoring among all NHL players (816 points in 928 regular season games. His 552 assists ranked ninth in that span: one assist behind Nikita Kucherov but 14 ahead of Evgeni Malkin. However, Malkin scored 76 more goals than Wheeler over the same time period.
Meanwhile, in (latter-day) Jets franchise history, Wheeler leads all Jets players in assists. He ranks second to Mark Scheifele (804 points versus 795) in overall points. Wheels played 874 games as a Jet. To date, Scheifele has played 879.
