Cole Perfetti trades Team Canada colours for Jets jersey

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This article was published 31/12/2021 (1345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cole Perfetti is going to Vegas for his 20th birthday.

That’s not a bad consolation prize for the Winnipeg Jets’ prospect, who just days ago was playing a starring role for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

The tournament was cancelled Wednesday in mid-stream owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Perfetti led the tournament with a goal and five assists in two games.

Instead, he returned to the Manitoba capital, practised with the Jets on Friday, and will accompany the group on a three-game road trip, which begins Sunday afternoon against the Golden Knights, continues Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes and wraps up Thursday in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche.

Perfetti, who leaves his teens behind Saturday, lamented having no real plans for the special day, but was quickly reminded a surprise trip to Sin City was on tap.

“Yeah, I turn 20 (Saturday). Crazy,” said Perfetti. “I don’t think much is going on. Just hanging out at the house probably, and skating.”

“We’re taking him to Vegas,” chimed in blue-liner Brenden Dillon, seated beside him during a Zoom chat with reporters.

Jets interim head coach Dave Lowry wouldn’t say whether Perfetti will suit up for any games.

“Right now, the plan is he’s going to skate, he’s going to practise with us, and I want him to get up to NHL speed,” Lowry said. “I just want to see him in practice. I don’t know what the plan, is in terms of games this week. That will play itself out.”

The final week of 2021 was, indeed, a proverbial roller-coaster ride for Perfetti, whose year-end plans took a rather sudden and jarring twist.

He should have been decked out in red and white in a crucial battle with Finland at the tournament. Instead, he wore a navy jersey for a time and then switched to power-play-unit white at Jets practice.

“A couple of days ago, playing a game for Canada and not really having any clue of it shutting down, just going about our business and assuming the tournament’s going on as normal,” said Perfetti. “Obviously, woke up the other day and a couple of positive tests in the bubble there that, ultimately, led to the cancellation of the tournament which was pretty upsetting.

“It’s kind of a dream come true for a Canadian kid to play on home soil and represent the country at that tournament, so I’m grateful and lucky to be able to do it for two games and have my family there for that. But, ultimately, it kind of sucks to have that happen but I’m happy to be here. Got on a plane (Thursday) and flew right here and am ready to go now.”

Perfetti is still listed on the taxi squad but can accompany team on the southern swing.

The Whitby, Ont., product played a pair of games for the Jets to begin the 2021-22 season before being reassigned to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. In 17 games, he fired six goals and added nine helpers before joining the national junior squad in Edmonton.

Canada was 2-0 and looked primed and ready to challenge for the championship.

“For it to come to an end like that, it’s something you dreamed of and wanted to do since you were three years old, for it to come to an end so quickly, it’s just tough,” said Perfetti, selected by Winnipeg in the first round (10th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

IIHF president Luc Tardif indicated Thursday there are plans to continue the championship in the summer.

Perfetti said he would jump at the chance to resume the mission for Canada.

“Yeah, I mean if they’re able to do it, I would love to. Anytime you can represent Canada, wear that jersey and get that opportunity, I would love to do it,” he said. “Hopefully, the IIHF and Hockey Canada can work together to figure something out (for) that tournament, we can finish what we started.”

Dillon, 31, said the sudden end to the tournament was a downer for everyone.

“(For) a lot of us, there wasn’t a whole lot of NHL hockey going on over the Christmas break, so for any hockey player, whether you went the college route or the junior route or even playing in Europe, you were watching,” he said “You had friends or you had teammates involved in the world juniors. For us, too, a lot of us getting to know (Perfetti) early on in training camp and seeing — not just the hockey player but person he is — you wanted to see him do the best that he could.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell