By STEPHEN WHYNO
Blake Wheeler‘s regular season is over after injuring his right leg falling to the ice, and it might take the New York Rangers going on a lengthy playoff run to open the door for a possible return this spring.
Wheeler was placed on injured reserve Friday and is out for at least the rest of the NHL regular season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not provided an update on Wheeler’s status.
The league’s official rosters have Wheeler listed as being on injured reserve. If on regular IR, he would be out a minimum of a week, and LTIR a minimum of 10 games and 24 days.
His absence will extend past that time after going down in pain and his right leg bending at an unnatural angle 11 minutes into New York’s game against Montreal on Thursday night. He was unable to put weight on that 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.
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 six 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.
