Jets’ Wheeler is ‘100 percent’, cracks jokes day after scary incident at Friday’s practice

Photo Credit: Brad Rempel/USA TODAY Sports

Winnipeg Jets leading scorer Blake Wheeler won’t miss any time as a result of being struck in the side-of-the-head by a Dustin Byfuglien snapshot at practice on Friday. Wheeler is a tough guy, obviously.

“He’s 100 per cent. That’s what he tells us, that’s what the docs say…he’s a tough kid,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters, by way of Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, while also confirming that Wheeler will play on Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes.

Wheeler meanwhile was able to crack wise about the incident, even poking fun at hi long-time teammate who shot the puck that struck him in the head.

Good stuff.

This was a scary incident for the Jets, and they’re pretty lucky – as is Wheeler – that the player escaped unscathed. Jets fans may want to say a Hail Mary to the hockey gods.

“I was (concerned),” Wheeler admitted to the press on Saturday. “A puck right to the head is pretty painful. It was initially pretty bad.

“Luckily it hit me in a spot with a lot of bone,” Wheeler continued. “As long as it don’t get hit in the same spot, it should be good.”

Boneheadedness has been something of a sore spot for a Jets team that has consistently been among the league’s most penalized. On Friday, however, that trait obviously worked in the club’s favour.