The Winnipeg Jets, in conjunction with the National Hockey League, today announced that forward Blake Wheeler has been named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week for the week ending March 3/19.
Wheeler, 32, opened the week with an assist in Winnipeg’s 3-2 setback to Minnesota on Tuesday. On Friday, the Jets captain scored and added a pair of assists in the Jets’ 5-3 comeback win over the Nashville Predators. On Sunday, Wheeler recorded his first career four-goal game in Winnipeg’s 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Plymouth, Minn. native’s four-goal effort was the seventh hat trick by a Jets player this season, which paces all NHL teams. Wheeler led the NHL with five goals and eight points this week.
On the season, Wheeler has 80 points (17G, 63A) in 65 games and he is second in the NHL in assists (63) and tied for ninth place in points (80). Wheeler has surpassed the 60-assist and 70-point plateaus for the fourth straight campaign and his 65 games to reach 80 points is the second-fewest to hit that mark in franchise history (Ilya Kovalchuk, 61 games in 2005-06).
This is the second time this season (also Nov. 12 – Second Star) and the fourth time in his career that Wheeler has been selected in the NHL’s Three Stars of the Week. He is the seventh Jets player to be selected in 2018-19 after Winnipeg had eight appearances in the Three Stars of the Week last season. Wheeler along with Jack Roslovic (Feb. 4 – First Star), Mark Scheifele (Dec. 17 – Second Star, Dec. 3 – First Star, and Oct. 29 – Second Star), and Patrik Laine (Nov. 26 – First Star) are members of the Jets that have earned NHL Three Stars of the Week honours this season.