National Post (National Edition)

Wheeler making use of an activist's voice

Jets captain won't be told he has to `stick to sports'

- PAUL FRIESEN Postmedia News pfriesen@postmedia.com Twitter.com/friesensun­media

So you think profession­al athletes should just stick to sports? That's a little like telling someone to park their heart, or turn it off with a switch, whenever they're doing their jobs.

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler fielded that very question during a Zoom call that took place far from the buttoned-down hockey world this week.

“I play hockey for a living,” Wheeler began. “It's my job, and clearly fans are a huge part of making that a possibilit­y. But I'm a person and I grew up a certain way ... outside of what I do for a living, I'm no different than anyone else. I have feelings about what's happening in the world, what's happening locally, nationally, and there shouldn't be any holding back on how I feel.”

Wheeler was appearing with J.T. Brown of the Minnesota Wild on a call organized by the non-profit group RISE, which seeks to use the sports community to eliminate racial discrimina­tion and champion social justice.

It's just the latest effort by the Jets captain to speak out about something more important than hockey, a personal mission that's really picked up steam in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in his home city of Minneapoli­s.

“I don't think anyone's trying to make this too political, especially the stakes that we're talking about right now,” Wheeler told the panel. “Politics is obviously a hugely divisive topic. But we're talking about human rights. As a person, this is what I believe in. And I just so happen to play hockey on top of that.

“I don't see any left or right in that discussion. There's only one way to go there.”

The panel discussion took place on National Voter Registrati­on Day in the U.S..

It didn't take long for the host to point out that not so long ago, Wheeler would have been the only person on the panel allowed to vote.

The other three members of the panel, including Brown, were Black.

“I have a hard time believing that's the same country that talks about freedoms for all and is written into some of our most important documents,” Wheeler said. “You get to a certain point and silence is not acceptable anymore.

There's a lot of guys like J.T. in the NHL now starting to really make some positive changes and bring some great awareness. And our job as white athletes is to show our support and go that extra mile and be part of talks like this and have their backs.”

Wheeler, 34, also took part in an NHL-sponsored roundtable discussion on racism three months ago.

But his activist's voice can be traced back further.

Three years ago, he was the first NHLer to speak out about the anthem protests in the NFL, which were slammed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Wheeler took to social media to remind Trump of the First Amendment, guaranteei­ng free speech.

He made it clear this week there is no more sacred right for an American than the right to vote.

He also recalled “dropping the ball” the first time he had a chance to cast a ballot.

“I was 18, playing in Green Bay,” he said. “So I'd just moved away from home, and the whole process of absentee ballot, mail-in ballot, just as an 18-year-old kid I was lazy. I felt guilty for dropping the ball. I had just turned 18 and it was an election year. So that should have been a pretty exciting time.”

Ever since, he's taken it seriously. This fall's election is no exception.

He and his wife Sam, from here in Winnipeg where they live and two of their kids are going to school, have already sent in their mail-in ballots, even as his president claims that whole process will be a sham.

“We just got our absentee ballots from Florida last weekend, and we sent them in the next day,” Wheeler said (they live in Florida much of the off-season). “Our kids were there, we showed them what it looks like and how the process looks and who we're voting for and all those types of things. So it got them excited. You've got to start that foundation early of just how important it is.”

Even in a pandemic, when fear might keep some at home.

“Keep your eye on the prize,” he said. “Know what you're doing it for. Know all the groundwork that went into everyone having these fundamenta­l rights to be able to vote.”

To vote. To speak up. To protest and demonstrat­e.

And eventually, to get back to sports.

AS A PERSON, THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE IN. AND I JUST SO HAPPEN TO PLAY HOCKEY.

 ?? JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS ?? Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler has been speaking up about the need to eliminate discrimina­tion in society.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler has been speaking up about the need to eliminate discrimina­tion in society.

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