How often has Winnipeg Jets captain, Blake Wheeler, been injured since he signed a five-year contract extension with the Jets back in early September 2018?
Wheeler is currently in his fourteenth career NHL season and was originally drafted fifth overall by the Phoneix Coyotes back in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
On December 5, Wheeler achieved a great personal milestone, that few NHL players reach, as he appeared in his 1,000th career game in a 6-3 win over Toronto. Over his career, he has played in over 782 with the Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise.
Blake Wheeler, of the Winnipeg Jets, injury history since the start of the 2018-2019 season
This article looks at Wheeler’s injuries dating back to when he signed his contract extension with Winnipeg and will be updated periodically:
Blake Wheeler upper-body injury, April 2022
Wheeler suffered an undisclosed injury in the Jets’ 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on April 6. Reporter Jeff Hamilton stated that Wheeler suffered an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.
Wheeler then went on to miss three games and then returned to the lineup on April 15 for a matchup against the Flordia Panthers, in which the Jets lost 6-1.
Blake Wheeler knee injury, December 2021
On December 10 against the Vancouver Cancuks, Wheeler collided with Jets’ defenseman, Nathan Beaulieu, and Canucks forward, Vasili Podkolzin, on the penalty kill, and his right knee buckled. After the injury, then Jets head coach, Paul Maurice said Wheeler would be out weeks rather than days.
Then on December 19, the Winnipeg Jets moved Wheeler to the Long Term Injured Reserve. There has been no timetable for his return.
Wheeler has joined up with the Jets on January 17 in Washington, D.C., and participated in practice in a non-contact jersey.
Finally, on January 22, Wheeler returned to the lineup in the Jets’ 3-2 loss in Boston against the Bruins.
Blake Wheeler concussion, April 2021
On April 5, 2021, Wheeler was hit with an elbow by Brady Tkachuk in a game against the Ottawa Senators. Wheeler then missed a couple of weeks for a total of six games.
He eventually returned to the lineup on April 22 when the Jets faced an important matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs and did not miss a game the rest of that season.
Throughout his long NHL career, Wheeler has appeared in 79 games or more in ten seasons. The three others seasons he did not reach that number was because those seasons were shortened for different circumstances.
The veteran forward appeared in all 48 regular season games during the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 season. He also appeared in all 71 games up until the 2019-2020 season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 56-game 2021 season, Wheeler appeared in 50 out of the 56 games.