Blake Wheeler stripped off Jets' captaincy!

On Friday, a press conference between new head coach Rick Bowness and forward Blake Wheeler was announced for later that day. It was mentioned that the presser would explain the team’s leadership group reconstruction.
Wheeler will not captain the Jets this year and the club will “enter the 2022-23 season without a specific captain.”

Team insider Murat Ates points out that it is not known - as of now ahead of the press conference - whether Wheeler stepping down from the C was his idea or came from Rick Bowness, but it is true that a shared press conference appears cooperative.

Four players wearing the A will be introduced as the new leadership group in Winnipeg.

“It is the determination of the coaching staff that we will enter the 2022-23 season without a specific captain but rather a group of assistants still be determined,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness “It is our goal to expand the leadership base within our hockey team.

“We have high expectations for our core players and we want to provide them with the opportunity to step into those greater leadership roles as a group. “

Wheeler has spent the past 12 seasons with the Jets and had served as captain of the Jets since 2016.
The 36-year-old forward posted 17 goals and 60 points in 65 games last season. He is signed through the next two seasons at a cap hit of $8.25 million, the highest on the Jets.

It certainly felt like a change was coming to Winnipeg. The Jets had reached the playoffs in five straight seasons before finishing sixth in the Central Division with a 39-32-11 record last year. On top of that, Wheeler's name has emerged several times in trade rumours in past months. This news could also intensify the chatter in Winnipeg.