WINNIPEG JETS

Record: 24 – 21 – 3

Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Wheeler shakes off pain, Jets breathe sigh of relief

Speedster blocks shot, bounces back

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 03/3/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Enlarge Image

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A whole passel of Jets are on hand to help as Blake Wheeler (third-left) limps off the ice after blocking a shot in the second period.

THE game was a write-off but it appears the Winnipeg Jets dodged a major injury bullet on Saturday afternoon.

Blake Wheeler blocked a John Erskine slapshot with his leg mid-way through the game and could not pick himself up off the ice.

The short-term bad news was plural.

The Caps scored on the play -- with Wheeler lying on the ice -- with Matt Hendricks' re-direct goal turning out to be the winner.

And Wheeler had to be helped off by the Jets' training staff.

He returned to try a shift later in the period, but was clearly labouring.

The Jets even advised press row that the speedy winger would not return to the game.

Appeared

But lo and behold, Wheeler appeared for the third period and was game for the final 20 minutes.

He wound up playing a total of 15 minutes. He received credit for a blocked shot from the official NHL statistical staff (he had two on the game) but also recorded a minus while he was incapacitated on the ice.

Wheeler was not available to speak to reporters following the game because he was receiving treatment, but Jets coach Claude Noel said that his front-line forward was likely to be OK in the coming days.

"I think he's OK," Noel said. "He took that shot on the side of his leg. "I was probably thinking like 15,000 other people. It looked like he was in pain, but nothing more than that. I was hoping that they wouldn't score because they were now on the power play... and they did."

Noel described the injury as likely a "heavy-duty bone contusion."

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 3, 2013 B2

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Winnipeg Jets

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.