Reflecting on Blake Wheeler's legacy in Winnipeg

Reflecting on one's own legacy isn't easy, especially when that legacy isn't over just yet.

Blake Wheeler did his best at the end of the 2022-23 season to put into words what his own legacy might be as a former captain of the Winnipeg Jets, the franchise leader in assists (550), points (812), and games played (897), and as a member of the community in Winnipeg.

"I gave it everything I had here," said the 36-year-old at the time. "I hope that that's good enough, you know what I mean? There wasn't a day that I took off. So, I guess that's the best you can do."

He was able to get the words out, but the emotion was evident in the veteran's eyes and usually stoic and powerful voice.

For so many seasons in Winnipeg, 12 to be exact, Wheeler shouldered the load of expectations from himself, his teammates, and the fans in one of the most passionate fan bases in Canada.

So, when it comes to legacy, perhaps Wheeler's words shouldn't have to carry the load of summing things up into a perfect sentence.

After all, his actions during that time did all the talking for him.

Wheeler is the lone player remaining on the roster that came to Winnipeg from the Atlanta Thrashers back in 2011.

"From the first conversations Blake and I had when I became general manager, I saw his determination to make our club a success," said general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. "In our time together, I always saw his drive to make himself and his teammates the best they could be through his work on and off the ice. Away from the rink, Blake and his wife Sam strove to embed themselves in the Winnipeg community and they went to great lengths to exercise their celebrity to benefit numerous charitable and humanitarian efforts throughout the city and the province."

He signed a two-year contract in July that summer and arrived in the Manitoba capital in the fall as a 25-year-old, who had a career-high of 45 points in a season at that point.

His first year as a member of the Jets, he beat that mark by nearly 20 points, posting a total of 64 that season thanks to a career-best 47 assists.

It was a sign of things to come, as Wheeler developed himself into one of the game's elite power forwards. The product of Plymouth, MN used his 6'5" frame to win puck battles, but also had the speed to burn around a defenceman off the rush before neatly tucking one home on opposing goaltenders - much to the delight of the home crowd.

"Being a big guy, you've got to hit more, you've got to fight more, you've got to do this more, you've got to do that more," he recalled. "I think the people here embraced the way that I play. I try to play hard for our fans every night and it's why I've committed my career here.

"It's the first place that let me be me."

And everything Winnipeg gave him, he tried to give back - on and off the ice.

This past season - and for the second time in the last three years - Wheeler won the team's Community Service Award. He and his wife, Sam, along with their three children - Louie, Leni, and Mase - were all part of the Ride Inside - Wheel with the Wheelers event for the last four years.

Their family was the presenting sponsor of the event, which raised $250,000 for CancerCare Manitoba's PROFYLE (Precision Oncology for Young People) program this year alone. During the holidays, the Wheelers also made gift donations to both the Christmas Cheer Board and the Children's Hospital.

"We're so blessed. We have three healthy kids," said Wheeler. "Not every kid is as fortunate as they are for a number of reasons, but first and foremost for their health. That's a very gratifying thing to be able to give back to families that aren't as privileged as ours have been, and are going through some terrible times."

Patti Smith, the CEO of CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, has been working with the Wheeler family for years - and remembers the meeting that led to the family's involvement with the Ride Inside program.

"The process in meeting Blake and Sam to talk to them about this event was wonderful right from the beginning," said Smith. "From there, they made a decision as a family that beyond wanting to be invested in financial way, they wanted as a family to get involved."

On top of that, Wheeler has been a fixture with the True North Youth Foundation, assisting with Project 11's multiple school visits and student interviews.

Off the ice, he gave all he could.

On the ice, it was the same.

"He never takes a shift off. He's played through a lot of injuries, he's as tough as they come. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and that's the type of teammate you're going to get," said Kyle Connor, who has played 466 games in the NHL, all with Wheeler as a teammate.

"I've learned so much from him, throughout my career here. There's no secret about that," he said. "He's still a hell of a player and he's an even better leader. He's world class."

That isn't just Connor being nice to a long-time teammate and linemate.

From 2014-15 through 2018-19, Wheeler was fifth in NHL scoring with 395 points behind only Sidney Crosby (447), Patrick Kane (445), Nikita Kucherov (444), and Alex Ovechkin (397). In that span, his 274 assists were the second most in the NHL behind only Crosby and Nicklas Backstrom's 275.

He had back-to-back 91-point seasons in 2018 (when he led the league in assists with 68) and 2019, earning the right-winger his first two invitations to the All-Star Game.

And in the last four seasons, Wheeler has averaged 0.88 points-per-game even as he got into his mid-30s.

Through it all, he's also been one of the most durable players in the league.

He played through broken bones, and many fans still have visions of the forward ramming into an open bench door at American Airlines Center in Dallas in 2015 as the Jets were chasing their first playoff berth since relocation.

It looked like Wheeler was done for the season, but out he came for the next period. He'd do that time and time again, even as recently as this past season, when he took a redirected slapshot in a spot no one would ever wish on an opponent.

"He's one tough cookie, man, he'll play through everything," said Jets head coach Rick Bowness. "I think that just goes back to his character, his commitment to the team, and his will to play."

Since relocation, through the pause of the 2020 campaign, Wheeler missed just six regular season games - with one of those coming at the end of the 2018 season, when the Jets rested a number of players ahead of their run to the Western Conference Final.

The last three seasons, he's battled a couple injuries that have kept him out for weeks at a time. Given his track record, it's easy to believe just how severe those must have been to keep him out of the line-up.

"He's a warrior," said Mark Scheifele. "He's played through pretty much everything under the sun."

He's brought an immense amount of pride to the organization, representing the Jets at All-Star weekends, selling prospective trade targets on the city so a no-trade clause could be waived - as he did with Paul Stastny in 2018, and signing two long-term deals (six years in 2013, followed by a five-year extension in September of 2018) to keep him in Winnipeg.

It's no surprise then that playing his 1,000th game on home ice on December 5, 2021, meant so much to him. His tribute video, and the resulting ovation from the crowd, made that hit home.

"So many lifelong friends for Sam and I, that's what sticks out, just how many life-long friends that we've made," Wheeler said at the time. "When it's all said and done, you'll have memories of games and big moments and all that stuff, but just the relationships I've been so lucky to form in my career and guys I've been able to play with."

As he leaves Winnipeg, Wheeler's stats will show that he sits with over 1,100 games played and 922 career points. He's tied for the lead in playoff games played with the Jets as well at 44 and had 39 points in that span.

His work ethic is one all his teammates admired, and he brought his best to the rink every day, all while being a husband and father away from it.

He spent the prime years of his career playing in this city, and believed the franchise was capable of greatness every time he put the jersey on.

That's one heck of a legacy.

But he's not done yet, and reflecting on his entire career will come when he decides it's time.

"I think when it's all said and done I'll say 'Wow,'" he said in the hours leading up to his 1,000th game, words that seem even more meaningful now.

"It's just so hard, you're preparing for a game at the end of the day. It is a game, you've got to play the game," Wheeler said. "So you don't spend too much time reflecting, you don't spend too much time down memory lane."