Blake Wheeler compares privileges and pressures of playing in Toronto and Winnipeg

A lot was made of the pressures of playoff hockey in Toronto this past May, as the Maple Leafs’ stars failed yet again to rise to the occasion in the postseason.

Not dissimilar to the situation in Toronto is that of the Winnipeg Jets. While the Jets have put up mostly strong showings in the regular season over the last eight years, they’re another large Canadian market that continues to suffer constant playoff disappointment.

On Thursday, former Jets captain Blake Wheeler hopped on Leafs Morning Take to give his perspective on the situation in Toronto. Asked about the parallel between the two cities, Wheeler gave his take on the double-edged sword of an engaged fanbase.

“It’s hard,” Wheeler told LMT co-host Nick Alberga. “It’s kind of a Catch-22 of playing in a Canadian market, because what a gift it is to play all your home games in front of people who not only know a ton about hockey, but they love the game as well. I always thought it was such a gift. And then to your point, it gets to a point where it gets hard.”

During his time as captain, Wheeler led the team to four straight playoff appearances, including the franchise’s only Conference Final appearance. With his final season as captain ending in a sweep at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens in 2021, the 38-year-old is all too familiar with having to face a disappointed fan base.

“My experience was that as my kids were getting older, I was out in the community more, just as a byproduct of being at their games, being at their practices,” Wheeler continued. “And now you’re exposed to things that maybe you were sheltered from when you didn’t have kids, when your kids were younger and you could pick and choose how and when you were in the community.”

Nevertheless, Wheeler emphasized the overall privilege of playing in a market where the passion runs deep through the whole city.

“People’s intentions are so great,” Wheeler said. “They genuinely love the game. What better place to win than in markets like that. They literally live this stuff.”

While the fans in Toronto and Winnipeg are tough on their teams, they also bring extreme passion and energy. At the end of the day, how much worse would it be if no one cared at all?