Blake Wheeler – Is there one reason why this team didn’t make the playoffs this season? Found a new level on and off the ice, does he hope to inspire his team mates? Critical for this team success? Did this team need to be held more accountable? Was Claude’s failing that he trusted the team to have the maturity to kick themselves in the butt when they needed it? How did he get himself on track during his “drought”? Any specific areas of his game he will be working on this summer? How important is it to him to get to the playoffs with this core? Will he play in the World Championships? What is his summer regiment?
Quote:
On keeping this core together – “Besides my wife and son it’s the most important thing in my life. The reason I re-signed for so long last summer is because I believe in the core group of guys we have ‘lits, laddie, buff, Toby, Stuey, myself’. We got the right guys there. We got that part right. I really believe in those guys”.
