The centre of attention

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This article was published 05/12/2016 (3204 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO — When Blake Wheeler stepped up at a time the Winnipeg Jets needed him most, it hardly came as a surprise. His ability to rise to the occasion is a big reason why he’s earned the respect of his peers both inside the Jets locker room and around the NHL, and why no one questioned the decision to make him the team’s newest captain after the departure of Andrew Ladd last season.

What he was able to do — and do extremely well — over the past weekend, however, had even his own coach and some of his teammates in awe.

“That’s why he’s our captain,” said Jets forward Bryan Little after a 2-1 win Sunday over the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. “He stepped up when we had one of our best players out and was able to play well at whatever position he’s asked to. You watch the game and he seems like a natural centreman out there. He’s doing pretty well on faceoffs, he’s battling and blocking shots. He does everything a captain should do and more.”

When a lower-body injury led to Mark Scheifele being scratched just hours before Saturday’s game against the Blues in St. Louis, Winnipeg suddenly found themselves needing to fill a major hole in the lineup.

To replace Scheifele, who was leading the Jets in scoring with 26 points in as many games and is their No. 1 centreman, head coach Paul Maurice needed to find someone to not only log a sizeable amount of minutes, but who could also compete against the other team’s best lines.

Instead of asking one of his other centremen, those with more experience in playing arguably the toughest position on the ice, Maurice instead reached for his leader.

“You need to have a willingness to cut parts of your game back,” said Maurice. “He’s onto the puck, he’s patient and he’s willing to sacrifice that part of his game to be a good player.”

When you’re a player of Wheeler’s calibre, you often get the choice of whom you’d like to play with. Wheeler, a veteran of nine seasons in the NHL, including all six in Winnipeg since the city’s return to the NHL, led the Jets in scoring last season with 78 points playing right wing on the top line.

To suddenly be sprung into a new position, one that involves a significantly more complete game than that of a winger — centres are considered the third defender in the defensive zone, while also expected to be part of the attack — the ask was a big one.

“It’s a true statement of Blake on and off the ice,” said Maurice. “When you look at the line combinations in the first 26 games… he’s played with kids and he plays hard. He’s been a great leader for us, now at centre ice he’s been fantastic.”

“It’s all about timing, really,” said Wheeler, 30, after the win over the Blues. “I tried to use my legs in that open ice. I was just trying to read off my wingers. Everyone took it upon themselves to be a little bit better.”

Wheeler not only lived up to the expectations put on him, his play went well beyond. Playing between Mathieu Perreault, a natural centre who has been moved to the wing throughout his three years with the Jets, and veteran Drew Stafford, Wheeler recorded two points and averaged more than 19 minutes over the weekend, including nearly 21 minutes against the Blackhawks just 24 hours after a hard-fought 3-2 overtime win over the Blues.

“He’s such a strong guy and he’s big,” said Perreault of the 6-5, 225-pound captain. “He moves his feet well and he rarely loses any battle… I don’t know what’s going to happen here, but for me to play on the wing with him, it’s been a lot of fun.”

Maurice listed off the positives of moving Wheeler to the middle prior to Sunday’s game. He thought the captain’s positioning was near perfect and his speed really opened up space for his linemates.

He even teased at the idea of continuing to develop Wheeler into a centreman — “It gives you pause, It makes you wonder,” he said — but after the game Sunday Maurice wasn’t as committal.

“If we thought we had enough wingers to support it offensively, then we would look at it,” said Maurice, who added he didn’t think the current numbers afforded such a move. “It’s something to really consider.”

But with Scheifele still listed as day-to-day, and the Jets set to play the Detroit Red Wings tonight at the MTS Centre, Maurice may not have a choice but to continue his experiment with Wheeler at centre and see how things play out. 

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton