Forward who spent 3 seasons with Bruins retires

Blake Wheeler is calling it a career.

The longtime NHL forward announced his retirement, noting he doesn’t have much gas left in the tank after playing for 16 seasons.

“I just haven’t felt like a rush to like make a formal announcement or anything,” Wheeler said during an appearance on 680 CJOB’s “Jets at Noon” program. “After my injury and kinda the way things ended last year, I just didn’t have anything left in the tank for it. I was at peace with it almost immediately after last year. And I’m just enjoying being a dad and kinda slowing things down a little bit, and being around my family.”

Wheeler sustained a serious right leg injury in February 2024 as it bent at an unnatural angle. He missed the rest of the regular season, but appeared in one game for the New York Rangers during their Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers.

He remained unsigned during the 2024-25 season.

After being drafted fifth overall by the then-Phoenix Coyotes in 2004, Wheeler spent the next four seasons at the University of Minnesota playing for the Golden Gophers. He elected to become an unrestricted free agent and signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins ahead of the 2008-09 season.

The Bruins traded Wheeler to the then-Atlanta Thrashers — who became the Winnipeg Jets ahead of the 2011-12 season — for Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik.

In 221 games for Boston between 2008 and 2011, Wheeler scored 50 goals and added 60 assists.

Wheeler totaled 812 points while with the Jets/Thrashers. He holds the team record for most points, assists (550) and games played (897).

All told, Wheeler played in 1,172 career games and amassed 321 goals and 622 assists.