Rangers' Blake Wheeler is out for the rest of the regular season because of injury, AP source says

Fri, Feb 16, 2024
NHL News (AP)

New York Rangers forward Blake Wheeler will miss the rest of the NHL regular season because of injury, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the team had not provided an update on Wheeler's status.

Wheeler, who will be placed on long-term injured reserve later in the day, went down in pain 11 minutes into New York's game against Montreal on Thursday night. He was unable to put weight on his right leg and needed help getting off the ice.

It's unlikely that the he will be able to return in the playoffs, which begin April 22, but the Rangers are not ruling out that possibility depending on Wheeler's recovery and how far they advance. The last possible day for the Stanley Cup Final is June 24.

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Wheeler, 37, has 21 points in 54 games in his first season with the team after being bought out of his previous contract last summer by Winnipeg.

"He's a veteran player who came here for a reason," coach Peter Laviolette said after his team's 7-4 win over the Canadiens. "To see something like that happen, that's tough."

The Rangers have won five in a row and are in first place in the Metropolitan Division. They next play outdoors at MetLife Stadium on Sunday against the rival New York Islanders in the second of back-to-back Stadium Series games at the home of the NFL's Jets and Giants.

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STEPHEN WHYNO DC-based hockey writer covering NHL, Capitals and Commanders "