Apr 21, 2022; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler (26) comes off the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes before the game at PNC Arena. James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Jets strip Blake Wheeler of captaincy, will begin 2022-2023 without one

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 9/16/22

In July, the Winnipeg Jets hired Rick Bowness to help turn the team around after a lackluster campaign last season.

With just under a month until the start of the 2022-2023 season, Bowness isn't waiting until puck-drop to make radical changes.

On Friday, the Jets announced a "restructuring" of the team's leadership group, starting by striping veteran Blake Wheeler of his captaincy.

"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 to be determined," Bowness said via the Jets' press release. "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."

pic.twitter.com/VF7Uwrtefg
— Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) September 16, 2022

Named captain in 2016, Wheeler has been with the organization even longer, going back to the Atlanta Thrasher's days before the team moved to Winnipeg.

On Friday, Wheeler said he was surprised by the move, but he's had time to let it sink in.

Blake Wheeler's reaction to the news:

"You know, there was some surprise, I think. Having the kind of year (the Jets had), the first conversation with the new coach was surprising. But I've had time to let it sink in, so he gave me a little headway. I've had time to process it."
— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) September 16, 2022

While it's yet to be determined who will be a part of the Jets' new leadership group, Wheeler had an interesting answer when asked about the possibility of trading in his "C" for an "A" this season.

"I don't need a letter on my jersey," Wheeler said. "There was a time in my career where that validation was important to me. I don't need that anymore."

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