WINNIPEG — Watching the Winnipeg Jets in person may be off limits because of the pandemic, but Winnipeggers can see a frozen version of the team captain on a front yard in the city’s Robertson neighbourhood. Ed Sanchez carved a giant ice sculpture of Blake Wheeler outside his home on Airlies Street. Ed Sanchez stands next to the giant snow sculpture he carved of Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler. Source: Zachary Kitchen. “He’s not only the captain of the Jets, he’s also a great community leader,” said Sanchez Sunday. The tribute also includes Wheeler’s number 26. Source: Zachary Kitchen The artist said the sculpture is attracting a steady stream of onlookers. “A lot of people are stopping to take pictures.” For Sanchez, it has been heartwarming to the see the community’s interest in his frozen work of art. “I made this sculpture to inspire Winnipeg through these hard times.” A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Jets is thanking fans like Sanchez for getting creative. In a statement to CTV News, the spokesperson said, “Until it’s safe to welcome our fans back into Bell MTS place we are enormously grateful for the community’s display of support for our teams, which has included outdoor rinks, creative sculptures and inspiring messages on our social media channels.”
