Captain Blake Wheeler is entering the NHL’s COVID protocols, the Winnipeg Jets said Monday afternoon.
Prior to the start of training camp, the Jets announced they were a fully vaccinated team. And according to the NHL and NHLPA protocols on COVID-19 announced last month, with respect to any fully vaccinated player who tests positive, his sickness will be treated as “a hockey-related injury” under the collective bargaining agreement.
The 0-2 Jets practiced at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on Monday where they will wrap up a season opening three game road trip tomorrow night against the Wild.
Wheeler had one assist in Winnipeg’s first two games of the season, and led all forwards with 21:20 of total ice time, including a team-high 3:29 while the Jets were shorthanded in Saturday’s 4-3 loss at San Jose.
The Jets captain is in his 14th NHL season and has missed only 12 games during his 10-plus years in Winnipeg, with six of those during the 2020-21 pandemic shortened schedule.
There was no immediate word from the team on who might replace Wheeler in the lineup for Tuesday’s game, or how long he would not be able to play.