BLOG: Wheeler looking forward to 'family reunion'

WINNIPEG – When the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Princess Auto Stadium in October for the 2026 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic, it will almost be 10 years to the day that they last hosted the event.

On October 23, 2016, Blake Wheeler was the captain of a Jets that would drop the outdoor game 3-0 to the Edmonton Oilers. Besides the result, the event was a massive success for the franchise and the city of Winnipeg.

“Time flies, so many great memories of that day. And it was a really cool day, I think, for the city, like on a national stage, it was like the second version of the Jets, and maybe the first time all eyes were on the city, and the buzz in the city was super cool,” said Wheeler on the Ground Control podcast.

“And I still tell stories of the hot stove, between the Oilers and the Jets, a few days before the game that was, that was pretty awesome.”

That hot stove featured Oilers and Jets alumni like Dale Hawerchuk and Wayne Gretzky. Now it’s Wheeler who will be playing in the alumni game at Canada Life Centre on October 24 with fellow members of Jets 2.0 against Mike Keane and Canadiens alumni.

“I think more than anything, just to have, like, a built-in excuse to get everyone back together,” said Wheeler.

“That's really the coolest part is now, the preparation people talking about getting families back together. How many kids are coming? Who's all coming? So, like, it's gonna be a really, really cool, almost like a family reunion.”

One of the easiest parts of Wheeler’s life during retirement has been recruiting former teammates to come to the Manitoba capital next fall.

“I mean, it was, I don't think anyone said no. I don't think anyone said, ‘I'll get back to you.’,” said Wheeler.

“I don't think anyone thought about it. It was a lot of ‘Hell yeah, let's go.’ It'll be fun.”

Below are the six Jets that were announced to play alongside Wheeler and his thoughts on each one:

ANDREW LADD

“I mean, he set the tone. He came first into the city. He was helping steer guys in the right direction, where to go, where to live. And just his professionalism, how he carried himself on the ice, just a really hard working, honest player who had some incredible years for this team.”

BRYAN LITTLE

“He just made everyone else's job so easy. I mean, especially for me, at the stage of my career that I was in, when I was spending a lot of time playing on his line. There were tendencies to maybe be all over the place, and stopping and starting was sometimes a challenge, but he cleaned up a lot of mistakes. He made us all look really good, incredible offensive player as well.”

CHRIS THORBURN

“Just how he showed up every day, like he was all in on the Winnipeg Jets from day one. I mean, he just, literally and figuratively, bled for this team. He was at the center of a lot of the jokes, a lot of the stories. He kept things light. He kept things serious. You know, he was just kind of like the ideal teammate and leader for our group.”

MATHIEU PERREAULT

He’s like the Tasmanian devil in a way. I mean, just so much energy every day. Talk about a long season. Guys that bring energy were so valuable. He was also incredibly valuable, just with the number of roles he could fill the Swiss Army knife. I mean, he could play on your first line, he could play in your fourth line. Wouldn't change his game, wouldn't change his mentality, wouldn't change his attitude.”

PAUL STASTNY

“Yeah, it was like a dream come true (when Jets traded for Stastny in 2018). I mean, I'd known Stas for a long time, and luckily, he and I got to play a little bit together and various things, but we got to spend some time together in the lockout playing in Munich together. And, with the position we were in, that season, there was a real push that we were serious contenders. And adding a guy like that just was incredibly exciting for everyone in the room. We knew what that meant. We knew it solidified our team and gave us a real shot to go for it that year.”

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN

“I just felt like everything was so seamless with him on the ice. It was just on your tape; he would make these small little plays that nobody would notice. But when you're on the ice with him, it's just like, wow. Like he was shielding two guys off, and he puts it on your tape, and away we go. So, the complete package of Buff is obviously, legendary, but it wouldn't be if you weren't such a great player. In his prime. I've said this million times, I would not have traded him for anyone in the league.”