Since the 2011-2012 NHL season, when center Mark Scheifele joined the ranks of the Winnipeg Jets, being their first draft pick since 1995, he and captain Blake Wheeler have shown quite the chemistry together. It wasn't right away, as Scheifele's first tenure with the club lasted only seven games before he was sent back to the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.
Former head coach Claude Noel gave Scheifele a chance early on, but it was on a line with Bryan Little (who was temporarily on the wing) and a mix of Brett MaClean and Antti Miettinen, as the top line at the time consisted of Andrew Ladd, Wheeler and Evander Kane; and he didn't produce much.
But by the 2013-2014 season, as Scheiefele had developed with the St. John's IceCaps a bit after the 2012-2013 OHL season ended, before playing for the 2012 World Junior squad, and showed definite improvement working with Colts head coach, Dale Hawerchuck and national team coach Don Hay.
In that season, his first full one with the Jets, Scheifele scored 13 goals and 21 assists in 63 games. And over the next three seasons, he would improve incrementally with 34, 32 and 50 point seasons, including last season where he scored a career-high 32 goals.
Blake wheeler has always been a consistent points-getter ever since he signed with the Boston Bruins in 2008 after deciding not to sign with the Phoenix Coyotes, the team that had drafted him in 2004. His highest career total in points was in 2015-2016 with the Jets, where he netted 78 points on 26 goals and 52 assists. He's on pace to beat that total this season.
Wheeler is a playmaker. He has that uncanny ability to find teammates in spots that no one in the opposition uniform is expecting. His east-west passes to Scheifele this season has demonstrated that.
Half of Scheifele's goals this season are thanks to Wheeler's slick passing and on-ice intuitiveness, and many of last season's 32 goals as well.
Now that they've been playing together on the Jets top line all season now, there's no denying their chemistry is beyond reproach.
This article from NHL.com's Nicolas Cotsonika tells the tale of why these two have forged such a bond on and off the ice and why there's no reason it can't continue.
