University of Minnesota Athletics
Wheeler to Play in 1,000th NHL Game
12/5/2021 5:14:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Wheeler is the fifth Gopher Hockey alum to reach the NHL milestone.
MINNEAPOLIS – Gopher Hockey alum and Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler will skate in his 1,000th regular-season NHL game on Sunday night as the Jets host the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Canada Life Centre.
Wheeler will be the fifth Pride on Ice product to reach the milestone in the NHL – joining Phil Kessel (1,146 games), Neal Broten (1,099), Mike Ramsey (1,070) and Thomas Vanek (1,029). Kessel is the only other active Gopher to play in 1,000 NHL games.
A native of Plymouth, Minn., Wheeler's 817 career NHL points rank third among the Minnesota alums behind Broten (923) and Kessel (917) while his 538 career assists rank second behind Broten and his 279 career goals rank fourth in program history.
A three-year letter winner with the Gophers (2006-08), Wheeler totaled 96 points (42 goals, 54 assists) in 127 career games. The forward helped Minnesota capture back-to-back WCHA regular-season crowns in 2006 and 2007 while also scoring one of the biggest goals in program history to win the 2007 WCHA Final Five. Wheeler served as an alternate captain in 2007-08 when he earned all-conference honors as the team's leading scorer.
Among his international experience, Wheeler represented the United States at the 2006 World Junior Championship and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Wheeler is one of 23 Gopher Hockey alums to have played in the NHL this year while the University of Minnesota leads all college hockey programs with 117 all-time NHL alums.
Wheeler will be the fifth Pride on Ice product to reach the milestone in the NHL – joining Phil Kessel (1,146 games), Neal Broten (1,099), Mike Ramsey (1,070) and Thomas Vanek (1,029). Kessel is the only other active Gopher to play in 1,000 NHL games.
A native of Plymouth, Minn., Wheeler's 817 career NHL points rank third among the Minnesota alums behind Broten (923) and Kessel (917) while his 538 career assists rank second behind Broten and his 279 career goals rank fourth in program history.
A three-year letter winner with the Gophers (2006-08), Wheeler totaled 96 points (42 goals, 54 assists) in 127 career games. The forward helped Minnesota capture back-to-back WCHA regular-season crowns in 2006 and 2007 while also scoring one of the biggest goals in program history to win the 2007 WCHA Final Five. Wheeler served as an alternate captain in 2007-08 when he earned all-conference honors as the team's leading scorer.
Among his international experience, Wheeler represented the United States at the 2006 World Junior Championship and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Wheeler is one of 23 Gopher Hockey alums to have played in the NHL this year while the University of Minnesota leads all college hockey programs with 117 all-time NHL alums.
Highlights: Gophers 2, Notre Dame 3
Saturday, February 14
Highlights: Gophers 2, Notre Dame 2
Friday, February 13
Gopher Round Table: Men's Hockey
Thursday, February 12
Highlights: Gophers 2, Ohio State 6
Friday, February 06