Cole Perfetti

Cole Perfetti (born January 1, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Perfetti was born on January 1, 2002, in Whitby, Ontario, to parents Angelo and Sandra.

His father formerly served as a scout for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League.

Growing up in Whitby, Ontario, Perfetti spent his minor hockey career with the Whitby Wildcats.

At the age of 10, he won the Brick Invitational Super Novice Hockey Tournament in Edmonton along with his Toronto Bulldogs teammates.

During the tournament, he tallied nine points in six games.

Following this, Perfetti enrolled at The Hill Academy while also playing for the Vaughan Kings of the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

In the year prior to his Ontario Hockey League (OHL) eligibility, Perfetti led them in scoring with a total of 52 goals and 73 assists for 125 points.

On March 9, he became the first 16-year-old rookie to record four goals in one game since Ryan Spooner did so in March 2009.

Although Perfetti helped the Spirit qualify for the OHL playoffs, they were eliminated in Game Seven of the Western Conference Championship Series by the Guelph Storm.

His scoring prowess helped lead the Spirit to their 40th win of the season for the first time since 2010–11.

As such, he was named one of the OHL Rookies of the Month for February.

He earned this honour again in March after leading all rookies with seven goals and four assists through eight games to help the Spirit secure its first West Division title since 2011.

As a result of his GTHL play, Perfetti was recruited to join the University of Michigan's men's ice hockey team for the 2018–19 season.

However, after being drafted fifth overall by the Saginaw Spirit during the 2018 OHL Priority selection draft, he rescinded his commitment and joined the OHL.

Perfetti began his rookie campaign by scoring the first goal of the 2018–19 season in his OHL debut on September 19, 2018.

As the season progressed, Perfetti continued to produce offensively and quickly surpassed Jan Mursak to set a new franchise record for most goals scored by a rookie.

At the time of his record-setting goal, Perfetti also led all league rookies in goals and points through 53 games.

He finished the regular season with 37 goals for 74 points through 63 games but lost the 2019 Rookie of The Year Award to Quinton Byfield.

He returned to the Spirit for the 2019–20 season where he greatly improved on his previous seasons total.

As a result of his play, Perfetti was named to 2019-20 OHL Second All-Star Team and ranked fourth among North American skaters eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft.

He was also named the Canadian Hockey League’s Scholastic Player of the Year after maintaining a 93 per cent academic average throughout the year.

He was selected tenth overall by the Jets in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Growing up in Whitby, Ontario, Perfetti spent his minor hockey career with the Whitby Wildcats.

As a teenager, he enrolled at The Hill Academy while also playing for the Vaughan Kings of the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

In the year prior to his Ontario Hockey League (OHL) eligibility, Perfetti led them in scoring with a total of 52 goals and 73 assists for 125 points.

As a result of his play, Perfetti was recruited to join the University of Michigan's men's ice hockey team but ultimately chose to join the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

During his OHL career, Perfetti set numerous franchise records due to his scoring prowess.

As a rookie, he set a new franchise record for most goals scored by a rookie and earned consideration as a highly touted prospect.

In his second season, Perfetti recorded 102 points through 56 games to set a new franchise record while also helping them clinch a spot in the 2020 OHL Playoffs.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his sophomore season was cut short and he joined the Jets' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, to start his professional career.

As a result of his rookie season with the Spirit, Perfetti was considered a highly touted prospect for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.

By February 2020, Perfetti recorded 102 points through 56 games to set a new franchise record while also helping them clinch a spot in the 2020 OHL Playoffs.

He finished the season first on the Spirit in scoring and second in the league overall with 37 goals and 74 assists through 61 games.

Prior to the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, broadcaster Bob McKenzie ranked him highly on TSN's Final Draft list.

While McKenzie was critical of Perfetti's speed, he praised Perfetti's hockey intelligence, creativity, and goal-scoring ability.

After his selection by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round (10th overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Perfetti was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Jets on November 10, 2020.

Following the signing of his entry-level contract, Perfetti joined the Jets' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, for the 2020–21 season.

Due to the ongoing restrictions in the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the regular season was pushed back to February 5, 2021.

Perfetti subsequently made his professional debut with the Moose on February 15, 2021, in a 3–2 loss to the Toronto Marlies.