Blake Wheeler

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Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Right
Nickname(s)	"Wheels"
Height Weight	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 219 lb (99 kg/15 st 9 lb)
NHL Team (P) Cur. team	free agent Minnesota (WCHA)
Nationality	United States
Born	August 31, 1986 (1986-08-31) (age 21), Plymouth, MN, USA
NHL Draft	5th overall, 2004 Phoenix Coyotes
Pro career	TBA – present

Blake Wheeler (born August 31, 1986 in Plymouth, Minnesota, U.S.) is an American ice hockey right wing. He was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, 5th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Wheeler attended Wayzata Senior High School for his freshman year, transferring soon after to Breck School. There, during his junior year, Wheeler had his breakout season, putting up prolific numbers (45 goals and 55 assists). During that 2003–2004 season, Wheeler led the state in scoring. He led his team to a State Hockey Championship that season, and scored a hat trick in the final game.

Wheeler opted to forego his senior year to play in the United States Hockey League with the Green Bay Gamblers. After playing one season with the Gamblers, Wheeler entered the University of Minnesota. In 2005–06, his freshman year with the Golden Gophers, he played in 39 games and recorded 23 points. 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 had a hat trick in a 4–2 win in the semifinal game against the University of Wisconsin-Madison.^[1] In the championship game Wheeler scored the 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.^[2] Wheeler was named the tournament MVP.^[3]

Early in the 2007–2008 season following injuries to Ryan Stoa and Mike Howe, Wheeler became an alternate captain.

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. ^[4]