NEW YORK -- Blake Wheeler was preparing for his first home game with the New York Rangers on Oct. 16, but was also already looking forward to playing his first road game in Winnipeg.
Heck, Wheeler was eyeing that date on his calendar four months ago, when he signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Rangers after the Jets bought out his contract.
That day is finally here, with Wheeler set to face his former team at Canada Life Centre on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; SN1, MSG).
"It's one of the first ones you look at for sure," Wheeler told NHL.com.
This will be the first time Wheeler enters the arena in Winnipeg as a visiting player. The 37-year-old forward was the last remaining player to have played for the Jets and Atlanta Thrashers.
The Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg and became the new Jets in 2011. Wheeler played 23 games with the Thrashers in 2010-11 after he was traded to Atlanta from the Boston Bruins. He played the next 12 seasons in Winnipeg.
Wheeler is the Jets’ all-time leader in regular-season games played (874), assists (540) and points (795), and Stanley Cup Playoff games played (44, tied with Adam Lowry) assists (30) and points (39). He is second all-time in regular-season goals with 255 behind Mark Scheifele's 276.
"I have such a love for that place and everything it's meant to me personally, my career, my family, all the friendships we have there still," Wheeler said. "It'll be kind of a nice way to celebrate a long tenure there."
He can ask Rangers captain Jacob Trouba for advice on what to expect.
Trouba played the first six seasons of his career with the Jets (2013-19) before they traded him to the Rangers on June 17, 2019. He played his first game in Winnipeg against the Jets on Feb. 11, 2020.
"You're going to see old teammates, old trainers, coaches, that kind of thing, but you also see media people you've been around, a lot of faces you've been around," Trouba said. "He was there longer than I was, but those were people I kind of grew up with and to see those teammates and guys again in the same building it was fun. It's different for sure walking in the other direction, but it's a pretty enjoyable experience.
“He has so many people and friends outside of hockey from being there for so long. His kids have friends there. It'll be exciting to go back and see people but it's also nice being on the other side and playing against them."
Wheeler will have his family -- wife, Sam, and their three kids; 11-year-old Louie, 8-year-old Leni and 6-year-old Mase -- with him in Winnipeg. They don't typically go on road trips with him, but they weren't about to miss this one.
Sam, Louie, Leni and Mase arrived in Winnipeg before the Rangers did so they could see old friends, many of whom will be at the game.
They live in Greenwich, Connecticut now, but, as Wheeler said of the kids, "Until we moved here, [Winnipeg] was all they knew."
Wheeler said the family has adjusted well, that the kids have friends, they're in school and involved in sports.
"I couldn't feel more at home," he said.
He felt that way for a long time in Winnipeg, including six seasons as the Jets captain from 2016-22. But his captaincy was stripped from him before last season and his time in Winnipeg came to an end not long after the Jets were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round on April 27.
Wheeler took umbrage with comments from Jets coach Rick Bowness in the moments after Game 5 that the team had "no pushback" against the Golden Knights, saying he didn't like how Bowness handled it and would have preferred it be done behind closed doors.
Two months later, Wheeler was put on unconditional waivers for purpose of a buyout. He had one year left on five-year, $41.25 million contract he signed with the Jets on Sept. 4, 2018.
Wheeler signed with the Rangers on July 1. He said he has no ill feelings toward the Jets or Winnipeg about how his time there ended.
"All things come to an end," he said. "I think it was just good timing for myself and for the team to move on. I'm happy they're in good hands going forward and it's a team that is going to be a good team for a long time. Down the road I look forward to cheering for them."
For now, he's trying to get adjusted to his new teammates and team in New York.
He arrived weeks before training camp began to get acclimated and comfortable, but it hasn't yet translated into production.
Wheeler, who had 55 points (16 goals, 39 assists) in 72 games last season, has no points in his first eight games with the Rangers (6-2-0), playing right wing on the third line with center Vincent Trocheck and rookie left wing Will Cuylle.
"I think that with any change there's a little bit of a change period," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "You left an organization that you were a big part of for a long time so there is a transition period. But my communications with Blake have been good and I think the more he plays, the more he gets involved, the more comfortable he will feel and maybe that line will start to click and generate even more."
Wheeler isn't worried.
"It'll come," he said. "It'll click."
Maybe a trip down memory lane will do the trick.
"It'll be weird for sure being on the other side," Wheeler said. "I always loved playing in that building in front of those fans. I always look forward to that opportunity. It'll be weird going against my old teammates, but I think it'll be a good experience."
