Jets’ Perfetti motivated to prove his worth following ‘life-changing’ contract By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 2:40 PM CDT Monday, Jul. 20, 2026

Adam Lowry’s wedding was the main event, of course. But the Winnipeg Jets had even more reason to celebrate this past weekend as they returned from their off-season homes for a spirited summertime gathering.

Cole Perfetti’s new five-year, US$30 million contract was naturally a hot topic.

“Perfect timing, I guess you could say,” Perfetti said Monday on a Zoom call with media. “Got to have a couple of dinners with everyone and just spend time with the guys. So, it was great to see them, and they were obviously super happy, super supportive. We had a great time together.”

The tight bond that exists in the NHL’s smallest market is a major reason Perfetti told his agent to seek a longer extension — one that eats up some unrestricted free agency years — rather than something shorter. Pen was officially put to paper last Wednesday.

“Me and my family love it there. We love being in Winnipeg, being in Canada, being a part of the organization,” said Perfetti, who was selected 10th-overall by the Jets in 2020.

“Obviously this (past) year wasn’t exactly how we planned on the ice, but you rewind two years ago and we were the best team in the league throughout the regular season. That’s the kind of group that I know we have and what we all believe in and what we can accomplish. One down year, I don’t think, defines who we are as a group.”

Perfetti was with his parents last week at the family cottage in Ontario when his agent called him with the good news, just five days before a scheduled arbitration hearing was set. Nobody believed it would get to that stage, with the deadline simply giving everyone involved a bit more urgency.

“Kind of cliche, but without them (my parents), I wouldn’t be here today. All the hard work and effort and time that they gave up so I could be in this position is, I can’t thank them enough. So, to be able to be with them — I wish my sister and my girlfriend and the whole family was kind of all together — but it was really special to have them there,” he said.

“Kind of cliche, but without them (my parents), I wouldn’t be here today.”

“They might have shed some tears and was very emotional during that time. It was pretty life-changing, so it was amazing to be there and celebrate with them.”

Perfetti now joins Lowry, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabe Vilardi, Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan Samberg and others who are signed long-term with the Jets.

“A lot of guys are still locked up for a while and we’re going to come back together as a close team and try to replicate what we did two years ago,” he said.

And that’s where Perfetti is likely going to have a major say. The 24-year-old is coming off a rough season, one that began with a high-ankle sprain in training camp and never really got on track. He had just 32 points (12G, 20A) in 68 games as the Jets fell all the way to 27th-overall in the standings, one year removed from winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

Perfetti says the organization has clearly shown faith in him by giving him this lucrative new deal. Now he wants to start paying them back.

“They’re showing you what they think of me and what they believe I can become, and the player that I can be. That goes a long way for your confidence when you know that the management, the coaching staff and everyone what they think of you,” he said.

“I expect a lot from myself on the ice this year to take a major step from last year.”

To that extent, Perfetti said a longer-than-anticipated break between action has been a blessing in disguise — one he hopes will lead to a sizzling start come September.

“Hopefully this is the longest off-season that we have. I’ve been trying to make the most of it,” he said.

“This is the most I’ve spent on the ice. This is the best I’ve felt in the gym. Overall, the body and the mind are in a great spot. Obviously now with being here for five (more) years and kind of knowing what the future looks like, it’s really settling and at ease a lot more.”

“I expect a lot from myself on the ice this year to take a major step from last year.”

Perfetti is eager to get an up-close look at new centre Viggo Bjorck, picked eighth-overall by the Jets last month. The 18-year-old has already signed his entry-level deal and left his Swedish club behind, paving the way for him to jump right to the NHL. That could possibly be on a second line with Perfetti.

“He’s a pretty special player. It would be really exciting to play with him and we’ll see where it goes,” he said.

Perfetti doesn’t wear a letter on his sweater, but he envisions becoming a more vocal leader on and off the ice going forward.

“I’m definitely going to work on that and continue to grow not just as a player but as a person, within the community, at the rink, on the ice, everywhere within Winnipeg. So, really looking forward to that opportunity,” he said.

“(Viggo Bjorck is) a pretty special player. It would be really exciting to play with him and we’ll see where it goes.”

“If playing with Viggo is the case, he’s an 18-year-old kid and I know I’m only 24, so still a young guy myself, but it wasn’t too long ago that I was in his shoes playing as a young guy. It’s not easy, the NHL. Having someone who’s a similar age that kind of just went through the ups and downs of it all being a younger guy, maybe being able to connect with him and relate to him a little more, it might be able to help both of us. “

Perfetti is also excited by the addition of free agent signing Mario Ferraro, who he played with — and won a gold medal with — at the World Championships in Latvia back in 2021. Ferraro, a defenceman, played last season with the Sharks.

“I actually have a couple of really good friends that played in San Jose as well, so they have nothing but great things to say as a guy and as a teammate. Obviously his play on the ice speaks for itself,” he said.

“But from all the stories and everything that everyone’s saying about what kind of guy he is off the ice, it sounds like he’s going to be a great fit for our locker room. Someone that we need and someone that’s going to come right in and be awesome to play with, hang out with.”

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows around the Jets this summer, however. There’s still the ongoing situation with goaltender Connor Hellebuyck — who was also at the Lowry wedding — and is the subject of ongoing trade talks given that the star of the gold-medal winning U.S Olympic team would like to be moved south of the border.

“We know as much as everyone else in the city of Winnipeg. We’re very anxious to know, too,” Perfetti said.

“We know how special he is as a player and a person. Obviously we want to be playing with him day in and day out. Whatever happens is obviously out of our control. There’s nothing that we can do about it. Try to not get caught up in it, enjoy summer, get better personally and whatever the roster is come October, that’s what it is. We’ve got to be ready to go.”

mike.mcintyre@winnipegfreepress.com