The learning curve that life offers is different for every single living person. We are all constantly learning new things, sometimes we are aware of it and actively pursue learning. Other times it’s on the back end of a fantastic failure that lends us a different kind of lesson. For many people it is the combination of the desire to learn, limiting the time after a failure, and maximizing the lesson from this failure so to apply it in the future that creates great success and fulfillment.

For Blake Wheeler these life lessons, his awareness to act quickly on them, and his rigorous work ethic have brought him to the upper echelon of athletic achievement.  

As a Junior in College at the University of Minnesota Blake had tasted a fair amount of success and had developed what he thought was a teflon tough mindset and a complete knowledge of that it meant to Work Hard. It was only after a short funk in the season when his Father sat him down after a game and calmly told Blake that he thinks there’s more in his tank; there’s more to give. Humbled and slightly embarrassed Blake set out to break through a new ceiling and push his limits farther than he ever had.

The next year he was playing in the NHL.

Now an NHL veteran Blake started out as a ‘deer in the headlights’ rookie back in 2008. An emotional and high energy player Blake had to learn to keep more of an even keel with his vocal approach and practice empathy as a teammate. A lesson he admits he’s still learning thanks in part to his coach Paul Maurice. This burning desire to learn, work, and improve has treated Blake well.  

In 2016 he was named Captain of the Winnipeg Jets.

Work Ethic is Blake’s foundation. His core. His engine. “Make sure everyday I’m the example of what hard work looks like.”

As a Husband, Father, Olympian, NHL veteran, NHL captain, and maybe most impressively a Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament Champion with the Breck (school of excellence) Mustangs, Blake has learned quite a few lessons through his journey and was kind enough to share some of these tasty nuggets with Harvey and Dave this week in Mart and the Fishbowl.