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Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler is ready to return to the lineup on Friday towards the Tampa Bay Lightning. Wheeler suffered a ruptured testicle final month, which has saved him out of motion.
Wheeler suffered the harm on Dec. 15 when he was inadvertently struck by a shot from Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in a recreation towards the Nashville Predators. The 36-year-old has missed the final 9 video games because of the harm.
The Jets ahead truly did not even understand that he suffered a ruptured testicle on the evening that the harm befell.
“There’s a distinction between being damage and being injured,” Wheeler mentioned following the sport towards Nashville. “I did not know I used to be injured till the following day.”
Prior to the harm, Wheeler was having a powerful season for Winnipeg. He at present has 9 targets and 17 assists in 29 video games over the 2022-23 marketing campaign.
Wheeler has been a member of the Jets since being traded to the then-Atlanta Thrashers by the Boston Bruins again in 2011. During his 15-year NHL profession, the veteran ahead has registered 255 targets and 528 assists in 1,075 video games with the Bruins and Thrashers/Jets.
In addition to Wheeler, the Jets are additionally slated to get forwards Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti, together with defenseman Nate Schmidt, again from harm for Friday’s contest. In Wheeler’s absence, the Jets have tallied a 5-4-0 file and at present sit simply three factors behind the Dallas Stars for first place within the Central Division.
