Playing career

Amateur

Wheeler attended Breck School his freshman year through his junior year. There, during his junior year, Wheeler had his breakout season, putting up a state-high 45 goals and 55 assists in 2003-04. He led his team to a Class A State Hockey Championship that season, and scored a hat trick in the final game.

Wheeler opted to forgo his senior year to play in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Green Bay Gamblers. After playing one season with the Gamblers, Wheeler attended the University of Minnesota. In 2005-06, his freshman year with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, he recorded 23 points in 39 games, playing alongside future Boston Bruins teammate Phil Kessel. Wheeler is praised for his deceptive speed with his large body frame, and his ability to stick handle at such high speeds.

In the 2007 WCHA Final Five tournament, Wheeler recorded a hat trick in a 4-2 win in the semifinal game against the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the championship game, Wheeler scored the game-winning goal in a 3-2 overtime win against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. The play was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter and quickly gained notoriety for its similarity to the game-winning goal in the 1979 NCAA Championship Game, scored by Minnesota's Neal Broten, also against North Dakota. Wheeler was named the tournament MVP.

Early in the 2007-08 season, following injuries to Ryan Stoa and Mike Howe, Wheeler was named an alternate captain for the Golden Gophers and recorded 35 points in 44 games. At the end of the season, four years after he was drafted, Wheeler had yet to come to a contract agreement with the Coyotes. Given the option, Wheeler elected to become an unrestricted free agent despite a maximum entry-level contract offer from the club.

Professional

After the Phoenix Coyotes were not able to come to terms with Wheeler, on July 1, 2008, Wheeler signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. On October 7, the Bruins made their final cuts for the 2008-09 season and Wheeler remained with the NHL club. Two days later, on October 9, Wheeler scored his first NHL goal, in his NHL debut, against goaltender Peter Budaj of the Colorado Avalanche. Wheeler then collected his first NHL hat trick the next month on November 6, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Being named to the 2009 NHL YoungStars Game to represent the rookies, he earned Game MVP honors after a four-goal effort to beat the sophomores 9-5. After being hit by a puck in practice during the 2009 pre-season, Blake added a visor to his helmet.

On February 18, 2011, Wheeler, along with Mark Stuart, was traded by Boston to the Atlanta Thrashers for Boris Valábik and Rich Peverley. On July 18, 2011, Wheeler signed a two-year, $5.1 million deal after the Thrashers were relocated and renamed the Winnipeg Jets. In the inaugural 2011-12 season with the Jets, he led the team in scoring with a career-high 64 points in 80 games. With the 2012-13 season delayed due to the Lockout and in order to keep game shape, Wheeler signed in Europe with EHC München of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Germany on October 28, 2012.

In July 2013, Wheeler avoided arbitration by signing a contract for six years, $33.6 million, which carries an annual cap hit of $5.6 million per season. He is now the third-highest paid Jets player behind defencemen Tobias Enström and Dustin Byfuglien, and he is signed through to the 2018-19 season.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004-05	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL		58	19	28	47	43		—	—	—	—	—
2005-06	University of Minnesota	WCHA		39	9	14	23	41		—	—	—	—	—
2006-07	University of Minnesota	WCHA		44	18	20	38	42		—	—	—	—	—
2007-08	University of Minnesota	WCHA		44	15	20	35	72		—	—	—	—	—
2008-09	Boston Bruins	NHL		81	21	24	45	46		8	0	0	0	0
2009-10	Boston Bruins	NHL		82	18	20	38	53		13	1	5	6	6
2010-11	Boston Bruins	NHL		58	11	16	27	32		—	—	—	—	—
2010-11	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		23	7	10	17	14		—	—	—	—	—
2011-12	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		80	17	47	64	55		—	—	—	—	—
2012-13	EHC München	DEL		15	6	14	20	51		—	—	—	—	—
2012-13	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		48	19	22	41	28		—	—	—	—	—
2013-14	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		82	28	41	69	63		—	—	—	—	—
2014-15	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		79	26	35	61	73		4	1	0	1	2
2015-16	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		82	26	52	78	49		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				615	173	267	440	413		25	2	5	7	8

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006	United States	WJC	4th		7	2	0	2	6
2011	United States	WC	8th		7	2	3	5	6
2014	United States	Oly	4th		6	0	1	1	2
Junior totals					7	2	0	2	6
Senior totals					13	2	4	6	8

Awards and honors

Award	Year
WCHA All-Tournament Team	2007
All-WCHA Third Team	2007-08
NHL YoungStars Game	2009
NHL YoungStars MVP	2009

[ Source: Wikipedia ]