Blake Wheeler is looking forward to playing hockey again and he'll get that chance in the German Elite League with EHC Red Bull Munchen this week. "I won't really know what to expect until I get there. I'm going over Wednesday and playing already on Friday," said Wheeler. "I'm throwing myself into the fire, which is a good thing. I'm excited to compete again. There will be some familiar faces, but for the most part, it'll be a new team. Hopefully, I can gel as much as possible with those guys, start winning and get things going in the right direction." This is a big year for Wheeler and he doesn't want to waste time sitting around, so he was quick to get a contract overseas after his wife, Sam, gave birth to a baby boy just over a week ago. The 26-year-old winger enjoyed a career-year in 2011-12 with 64 points in 80 games and his current deal only has one year remaining on it.