Rangers Blake Wheeler to miss rest of regular season

The New York Rangers will be without right winger Blake Wheeler for the remainder of the regular season following a right leg injury he sustained during Thursday night’s 7-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. On Friday, Wheeler was officially placed on injured reserve.

The incident occurred in the first period when Wheeler, engaged in puck retrieval along the end boards behind the Montreal net, was checked by Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble. The 37-year-old winger fell awkwardly, rendering him unable to put weight on his injured leg and requiring assistance to leave the ice. While the Rangers have not ruled out Wheeler’s potential return for the playoffs, his absence is deeply felt, particularly as the team readies for the Stadium Series outdoor game at MetLife Stadium against the New York Islanders on Sunday.

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Defenseman Jacob Trouba acknowledged the emotional impact of Wheeler’s injury, stating, “As much as these guys are teammates, we lost a friend. He’s obviously going through something that no one wants to go through, so there’s more to it than just the impact on the team. We all care a lot about the hockey and our jobs, but we’re also humans and friends and have families outside the rink.”

Wheeler, in his inaugural season with the Rangers, has accumulated 21 points in 54 games. With 16 seasons in the NHL across three teams, including 13 seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, he commenced his career with the Boston Bruins in the 2008-09 season. The one-time All-Star boasts a career record of 321 goals and 622 assists in 1,172 games.