Winnipeg Jets Reveal Alternate Captains and Shocker! No Blake Wheeler
The Winnipeg Jets announced today their new leadership group -- now that Blake Wheeler is no longer captain -- and it seems obvious that the organization and the player are at odds, now more than ever.
Per Rick Bowness, the Jets' alternates this season will be Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, and Adam Lowry:
Rick Bowness clearly looked at the room under Wheeler's leadership, did not like what he saw, and just yoinked the 'C' immediately off his chest, much to Wheeler's chagrin.
During Wheeler's interview after the fact, he maintained his professionalism, but he was obviously not happy and even hinted that the two sides could be headed for an eventual split. When asked if Wheeler and the club had explored a trade:
Wheeler responded, ''I think, yea, when you have a down season, you're going to have to have those conversations. I've been here 11 years and you'd be crazy not to a) look in the mirror at yourself and b) look at an 11-year relationship and say 'is this in our best interest going forward.''
Wheeler said no such arrangements were made and -- to his knowledge -- he is in Winnipeg for the long-haul, but the writing is on the wall, plain as day. The only real hurdle is finding a dance partner willing to take Wheeler's contract.
In all, Wheeler did express serious gratitude for having had the opportunity to captain a Canadian franchise and how special that is for an American hockey player. He is a true professional, but it is difficult to ignore the fact that the is pissed about losing the 'C.'
Full interview:
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 13 | 125 ANSWERS Winnipeg Jets Reveal Alternate Captains and Shocker! No Blake Wheeler Will Blake Wheeler be traded this season? | ||
| Yes | 77 | 61.6 % |
| No | 48 | 38.4 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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