Cole Perfetti

Lore & Background

Perfetti grew up in Whitby, Ontario, playing minor hockey with the Whitby Wildcats. At age 10, he won the Brick Invitational Super Novice Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Bulldogs, tallying nine points in six games. He later enrolled at The Hill Academy while playing for the Vaughan Kings of the Greater Toronto Hockey League, leading them in scoring with 52 goals and 73 assists for 125 points in the year before his OHL eligibility. Recruited by the University of Michigan, he instead joined the Saginaw Spirit after being drafted fifth overall in the 2018 OHL Priority selection.

In his OHL rookie season, Perfetti set a franchise record for most goals by a rookie and helped the Spirit win their first West Division title since 2011. He became the first 16-year-old rookie to score four goals in a game since Ryan Spooner in 2009. In his second season, he recorded 102 points through 56 games, setting another franchise record, and was named to the 2019-20 OHL Second All-Star Team. He also earned the Canadian Hockey League's Scholastic Player of the Year with a 93 percent academic average.

Perfetti made his professional debut with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL on February 15, 2021, scoring his first professional goal. He was named CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month for April 2021 after tallying 13 points in nine games. He made his NHL debut on October 13, 2021, against the Anaheim Ducks, and scored his first NHL goal on January 18, 2022. On December 31, 2023, Perfetti was high-sticked by Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman, who allegedly told Perfetti he would intentionally high-stick him as retribution for an injury to Kirill Kaprizov; Hartman denied the intent, and audio of the exchange was not released. Perfetti required stitches but was not injured. On January 24, 2025, he scored his first NHL hat trick in a 5-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club.

Reader's Guide

Cole Perfetti's significance lies in his consistent scoring at every level and his role in key moments for the Winnipeg Jets. His OHL career established him as a top prospect, setting franchise records for goals by a rookie and total points in a season. His transition to professional hockey was marked by immediate success in the AHL, earning Rookie of the Month honors and the team's Rookie of the Year award. In the NHL, his most notable achievement came on May 4, 2025, when he scored the game-tying goal with 1.6 seconds left in regulation of Game 7 of the first-round playoff series against the St. Louis Blues, the latest game-tying or winning goal in regulation in NHL playoff history; the Jets won 4-3 in double overtime. His contract extension on July 15, 2026, secured his place with the Jets for five more years. Perfetti also represented Canada internationally, playing for Team Canada White at the 2018-19 U17 World Hockey Challenge and for Team Canada at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he scored 8 goals and 4 assists, including a multi-goal shootout performance in the semifinals.

Did You Know?

• Perfetti scored the game-tying goal with 1.6 seconds left in regulation of Game 7 of the 2025 first-round playoffs, the latest such goal in NHL playoff history.
• He set a Saginaw Spirit franchise record for most goals by a rookie in his first OHL season.
• He scored his first NHL hat trick on January 24, 2025, against the Utah Hockey Club.