Jets hope Perfetti a perfect fit

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This article was published 05/10/2020 (1544 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On the night they kicked off their 10th anniversary season, and with the 10th-overall draft pick, the Winnipeg Jets turned to the family of the greatest No. 10 in the team’s history to do the honours. Fittingly, Crystal Hawerchuk, the widow of Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, helped them select a kid from Ontario they hope will be the next big thing up the middle of their lineup. 

The club’s well-documented search for another franchise centre behind Mark Scheifele took a surprising twist Tuesday night as 18-year-old Cole Perfetti seemingly fell into their laps. Ranked as the fifth-best North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, the Ontario Hockey League star was a long shot to be around by the time the Jets were on the clock.

“It was an amazing feeling. It was something I’ve worked for my entire life, so to hear my name be called with all of my friends and family in attendance, it was a surreal moment and something that I’ll never forget,” Perfetti said in a Zoom interview with media from his home in Whitby filled with family and friends.

Perfetti, who will turn 19 on New Year’s Day, tore up the OHL last season, with 37 goals and 74 assists in 61 games. The 5-11, 177-pounder has been described by numerous scouts as an elite playmaker with an NHL-ready shot and hockey I.Q. that is off the charts. He was named the Scholastic Player of the Year in junior for combining on and off-ice accomplishments.

Saginaw Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill couldn’t say enough Tuesday night about the teen’s character.

“He’s unbelievable. Everyone touches on how great of a hockey player he is, his skill on the ice, but it’s matched by how he is off the ice. He’s so humble, he’s such a good person, he’s such a good leader in the room,” Drinkill told the Free Press.

“He doesn’t seek out attention, he’s very thankful for everything he has and he’s very driven. Not only is Winnipeg getting a high-impact player but they’re getting a high-impact person.”

There’s a special connection between Drinkill and the Jets organization. Drinkill worked with the Barrie Colts, coached by Hawerchuk, when the Jets 2.0 used their inaugural selection on Scheifele in 2011.

“He’s unbelievable. Everyone touches on how great of a hockey player he is, his skill on the ice, but it’s matched by how he is off the ice. He’s so humble, he’s such a good person, he’s such a good leader in the room.”
– Saginaw Spirit GM Dave Drinkill

Drinkill sees plenty of similarities between the two driven, cerebral centres.

“You could see Scheif was a student of the game. You had to literally drag him off the ice. And Cole’s the same way. He watches every game around the league that he can, he watches the NHL, he watches highlights. He can’t get enough of it,” he said.

“I think Winnipeg fans might look at Mark Scheifele, what he is as a player and how he conducts himself, and find out they’re getting the same kind of person in Cole.”

Scheifele, the Kitchener native picked seventh overall that year, was one of the first to greet his newest teammate. 

“What he does on the ice is awesome. He’s a great player and seems like he’s a great guy off the ice. I already got a text from him welcoming me to the organization,” said Perfetti.

“Being able to come into an organization and be able to play with guys his calibre is special. He’s a great player and the way he thinks the game, the way he plays, he’s a true pro. I’ve been a big fan of his for many years now and admired his game. He’s a great player. It’s going to be surreal to hopefully suit up with him.’

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said there was plenty of excitement in the Winnipeg war room when Perfetti was still available.

“There was obviously lots of talent in the top 10, and when we knew that we were going to be selecting in the top 10 we felt pretty good about it,” he said. “As the draft went on, we felt even better about and as it became our pick, I might have sprinted to the podium.”

“There was obviously lots of talent in the top-10, and when we knew that we were going to be selecting in the top-10 we felt pretty good about it. As the draft went on, we felt even better about and as it became our pick, I might have sprinted to the podium.”
– Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff

Cheveldayoff wouldn’t divulge exactly where the scouting crew of the Central Division squad had the Spirit star ranked, but noted one of his GM brethren made a last-ditch attempt to snag the pick just before it was made.

“It was funny because as things started to unfold, I started to get a few more phone calls and I did have one team make a real kind of interesting offer, and someday in my book you’ll have to read it,” he said, laughing.

“For us, our lists are sacred and we tend to keep it pretty tight.”

Perfetti was also moved to have his selection announced by Crystal Hawechuk to a nationally televised audience. The Jets wanted to honour Ducky, who died of stomach cancer in August.

“Obviously, Dale was an amazing hockey player and a great person off the ice. He left a legacy and lasting impression on everyone in Canada, but especially in Winnipeg. To be called by Crystal was a pretty cool moment. To be the 10th pick when he wore No. 10, that was pretty cool,” said Perfetti.

Some scouts have compared him to Tampa Bay superstar Nikita Kucherov, but Perfetti said he actually sees more of Lightning centre Brayden Point in his game. 

“I think we play a similar game in terms of how we use our brains and hockey I.Q. We’re not the biggest guys but we obviously use our playmaking abilities to get around the ice and be impactful. So I think I’ve been trying to emulate my game like him. I’ve been picking out parts of his game and trying to put them into mine,” said Perfetti.

Perfetti played mostly wing his rookie season and then split this past campaign between left wing and centre, which he prefers. Drinkill said he moved to the wall in January when the team acquired centre Ryan Suzuki, a 2019 first-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes.

“We paired them as a dominant line in our league as we pushed for a championship before the league shut down,” said Drinkill.

“I think with his hockey I.Q., the way he sees the ice, he could easily play centre at the next level.”

Does he expect Perfetti to suit up in Saginaw for a third straight OHL season or do bigger and better things await?

“Obviously I’m ecstatic to be a Winnipeg Jet, but there were nine other teams that passed on me. I’m going to come in trying to prove myself. At the end of the day I want to be the best player this draft and leave a legacy.”
– Cole Perfetti

“That’s up to the Jets and what they have planned for him and how he does in training camps and development camps and when he’s ready to go. It’s becoming a younger player’s sport,” Drinkill said.

“A lot of younger players are making the NHL and it’s our job to develop them on and off the ice to give them that chance to turn pro at a young age.

“If Winnipeg feels he’s not ready right away then we’ll take him back and keep developing him and hopefully he makes their team at 19. We’ll do everything we can to make sure he’s in a Jets jersey as soon as possible.”

Perfetti said he’ll come to Jets camp — targeted for December with a potential Jan. 1 start date to the 2020-21 season — with the idea of making it impossible to send him back to junior.

“First and foremost, you’re going to get a kid that’s pretty eager and pretty hungry to make the jump. I’m going to come in with a chip on my shoulder and I’m going to try and make an impact as soon as I can. They’re going to get a 200-foot player and definitely a guy that uses his brain and hockey I.Q. in the offensive zone, who has that ability to score from my shot and in tight, kind of that duel threat. It’s my hockey I.Q. and playmaking ability that makes me who I am,” said Perfetti.

Perfetti said he wants to show all the teams who passed on him Tuesday night what they’re missing out on.

“Obviously I’m ecstatic to be a Winnipeg Jet, but there were nine other teams that passed on me. I’m going to come in trying to prove myself. At the end of the day I want to be the best player from this draft and leave a legacy,” said Perfetti.

“I think it’s going to be by coming in with a chip on my shoulder, playing hungry and hard and establishing that I can make an impact at the next level. It’s going to be important for me to do that right away. I definitely want to prove everyone wrong that passed on me. I’m excited to be a Jet and I think I’m going to have a great career there. I’m really looking forward to it.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell