Blake Wheeler had just given 10 minutes of his time to a couple of Winnipeg reporters, when a kid asked for his autograph at the Iceplex, Tuesday.
The Winnipeg Jets winger took a pen and signed his name on the kid's T-shirt. A red, Team Canada T-shirt.
I'm not sure if Wheeler, a Minnesota native getting ready to play for the U.S. in the World Cup, noticed the irony of the situation.
But he is expecting a much less friendly exchange when the heated hockey rivals meet for keeps, following a pair of exhibition tilts next week.