A tale of two Blake Wheelers: Young fan meets Winnipeg Jet who shares his name
Winnipeg Jet Blake Wheeler took notice of a young fan this weekend who shares a distinct similarity to him – his name.
Eleven-year-old Blake Wheeler, who is from Missouri, got an acknowledgment from his hockey hero on Sunday when the Jets took on the St. Louis Blues.
Blake’s admiration for the Winnipeg Jets began when he started playing hockey at the age of five and learned someone on the team had his exact name.
After years of cheering on the team, the younger Blake came face-to-face with Wheeler at Sunday’s game in St. Louis, when the hockey pro spotted Blake’s sign and came over to share a few words.
Blake said it was a “pretty cool” experience for him to interact with Wheeler, adding that he dons Wheeler’s same number – 26 – when he plays hockey.
Blake Wheeler, 11, wearing #26, which is the same number as his favourite hockey player, Blake Wheeler. (Source: Cortney Wheeler)
“I’ve seen him in St. Louis multiple times and I’m hoping to see him in Winnipeg,” Blake said in an interview on Monday.
Cortney Wheeler, Blake’s mom, didn’t know who the hockey player was when she was naming her son.
She said it wasn’t until her son was about four years old that she learned of Wheeler.
“Ever since then, we’ve all been Jets fans… [Blake’s] whole room is Winnipeg Jets and he’s got all the outfits and everything like that,” she said.
The family members are such big fans that when they go to professional hockey games, they make an effort to specifically see the Blues play the Jets.
Cortney added that Blake watches videos of the Jets every day on YouTube, and that his dream is to be like Wheeler when he gets older.
“He wants to be on the top. He wants to be a Winnipeg Jet one day. That’s his goal,” Cortney said.
An interaction between the two Blake Wheelers. (Source: Cortney Wheeler)
Despite being from Missouri, Blake does not consider himself a fan of the St. Louis Blues and prefers to cheer on Winnipeg and New York.
“I like to follow the Jets and the Rangers. Those are my two favourite teams,” he said.
The family is hoping to visit Winnipeg one day, and would love to come during a White Out.
- With files from CTV’s Devon McKendrick.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.