Latest news with #GabrielVilardi
Global News
an hour ago
- Sport
- Global News
Jets' Vilardi glad to have avoided arbitration, calls extension ‘inevitable'
Gabriel Vilardi said his contract extension was 'inevitable' and he was glad to avoid arbitration. The Winnipeg Jets forward, a restricted free agent, signed a six-year, US$45 million contract last Friday. Vilardi was coming off a career year in the second of a two-year, $6.88 million deal. 'Everything went pretty smoothly from what I heard,' Vilardi told reporters on Zoom. 'And I'm glad to hear that because from the end of the season, whenever I started thinking about this stuff, it was never any question for me. 'I always wanted to be back in Winnipeg, so it was important that we got it done and we didn't get to arbitration. I don't think anybody wanted that, so how it played out was almost inevitable.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The 25-year-old from Kingston, Ont., helped the Jets to their first-ever Presidents' Trophy last season. Story continues below advertisement Vilardi had career highs with 27 goals, 34 assists, 61 points and 71 regular-season games. He added another four points (one goal, three assists) in nine playoff games after missing the last 11 games of the regular season and first four of the post-season with an upper-body injury. Vilardi also set new single-season bests in power-play goals (12), power-play points (25) and ice time per game (18:08) and matched his six game-winning goals from 2022-23. 'The opportunity for us to win in our window here of four or five years is something I'm very excited about and I want to be a part of,' he said. 'And I love Winnipeg, it's a great spot. 'It feels like home to me and all the fans, the team, the organization, everybody has welcomed me to Winnipeg since I've been there and it's been great. So it made it a pretty easy decision for me.' Vilardi was traded to Winnipeg in the deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings on June 27, 2023, coming off a 41-point season (23 goals, 18 assists). He was a first-round pick (11th overall) by the Kings in the 2017 NHL draft. He has 175 points (90 goals, 85 assists) in 270 career games.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jets' Vilardi glad to have avoided arbitration, calls extension ‘inevitable'
Gabriel Vilardi said his contract extension was 'inevitable' and he was glad to avoid arbitration. The Winnipeg Jets forward, a restricted free agent, signed a six-year, US$45 million contract last Friday. Vilardi was coming off a career year in the second of a two-year, $6.88 million deal. 'Everything went pretty smoothly from what I heard,' Vilardi told reporters on Zoom. 'And I'm glad to hear that because from the end of the season, whenever I started thinking about this stuff, it was never any question for me. 'I always wanted to be back in Winnipeg, so it was important that we got it done and we didn't get to arbitration. I don't think anybody wanted that, so how it played out was almost inevitable.' The 25-year-old from Kingston, Ont., helped the Jets to their first-ever Presidents' Trophy last season. Vilardi had career highs with 27 goals, 34 assists, 61 points and 71 regular-season games. He added another four points (one goal, three assists) in nine playoff games after missing the last 11 games of the regular season and first four of the post-season with an upper-body injury. Vilardi also set new single-season bests in power-play goals (12), power-play points (25) and ice time per game (18:08) and matched his six game-winning goals from 2022-23. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'The opportunity for us to win in our window here of four or five years is something I'm very excited about and I want to be a part of,' he said. 'And I love Winnipeg, it's a great spot. 'It feels like home to me and all the fans, the team, the organization, everybody has welcomed me to Winnipeg since I've been there and it's been great. So it made it a pretty easy decision for me.' Vilardi was traded to Winnipeg in the deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings on June 27, 2023, coming off a 41-point season (23 goals, 18 assists). He was a first-round pick (11th overall) by the Kings in the 2017 NHL draft. He has 175 points (90 goals, 85 assists) in 270 career games. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Jets' Vilardi glad to have avoided arbitration, calls extension ‘inevitable'
Gabriel Vilardi said his contract extension was 'inevitable' and he was glad to avoid arbitration. The Winnipeg Jets forward, a restricted free agent, signed a six-year, US$45 million contract last Friday. Vilardi was coming off a career year in the second of a two-year, $6.88 million deal. 'Everything went pretty smoothly from what I heard,' Vilardi told reporters on Zoom. 'And I'm glad to hear that because from the end of the season, whenever I started thinking about this stuff, it was never any question for me. 'I always wanted to be back in Winnipeg, so it was important that we got it done and we didn't get to arbitration. I don't think anybody wanted that, so how it played out was almost inevitable.' The 25-year-old from Kingston, Ont., helped the Jets to their first-ever Presidents' Trophy last season. Vilardi had career highs with 27 goals, 34 assists, 61 points and 71 regular-season games. He added another four points (one goal, three assists) in nine playoff games after missing the last 11 games of the regular season and first four of the post-season with an upper-body injury. Vilardi also set new single-season bests in power-play goals (12), power-play points (25) and ice time per game (18:08) and matched his six game-winning goals from 2022-23. 'The opportunity for us to win in our window here of four or five years is something I'm very excited about and I want to be a part of,' he said. 'And I love Winnipeg, it's a great spot. 'It feels like home to me and all the fans, the team, the organization, everybody has welcomed me to Winnipeg since I've been there and it's been great. So it made it a pretty easy decision for me.' Vilardi was traded to Winnipeg in the deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings on June 27, 2023, coming off a 41-point season (23 goals, 18 assists). He was a first-round pick (11th overall) by the Kings in the 2017 NHL draft. He has 175 points (90 goals, 85 assists) in 270 career games. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
CBC
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
Gabriel Vilardi staying with Winnipeg Jets after signing 6-year, $45M contract extension
The Winnipeg Jets locked up forward Gabriel Vilardi on Friday, signing the forward to a six-year contract extension worth $45 million US. The extension comes after Vilardi, who became a restricted free agent on July 1 after completing a two-year, $6.88-million contract, posted career highs in 2024-25 with 27 goals, 34 assists, 61 points and 71 games played. The 25-year-old from Kingston, Ont., added a goal and three assists in nine playoff games after missing the last 11 games of the regular season and first four of the post-season with an upper-body injury. Vilardi also set new single-season bests in power-play goals (12), power-play points (25) and ice time per game (18:08) and matched his six game-winning goals from 2022-23. Vilardi, originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round (11th overall) at the 2017 NHL draft, has 175 points (90 goals 85 assists) in 270 career regular-season games and 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 21 playoff contests for the Kings and Jets. The Jets acquired Vilardi on June 27, 2023, in a trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings. Internationally, Vilardi won gold with Canada at the 2021 world championships after recording one assist and six penalty minutes in 10 games.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jets sign forward Vilardi to six-year contract extension
The last time Gabe Vilardi was asked about his long-term future, the Winnipeg Jets forward wasn't ready to make any bold proclamations — or even drop any not-so-obvious hints or bread crumbs. There was no doubt that Vilardi was happy with his usage or role, averaging just over 18 minutes of ice time per game. But was Vilardi interested in the security of a long-term deal or was he more interested in getting to unrestricted free agency as quickly as possible? MATT SLOCUM / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Gabriel Vilardi is expected to speak with reporters about the new contract early next week. That was unclear going into the off-season, mostly because Vilardi said after his exit interview that he hadn't really given it any thought yet. It was a reasonable and rational response, when you consider that the Jets had just been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Dallas Stars a few days earlier. On Friday, his actions spoke louder than any words he could have uttered at the time. By signing a six-year extension that carries an average annual value of US$7.5 million, Vilardi became the latest member to dedicate his prime years to the Jets' organization. The 25-year-old is coming off his most productive season of his six in the NHL so far, posting career-highs with 27 goals and 61 points in 71 games (which was also a career-high). Since he was acquired in the blockbuster deal for Pierre-Luc Dubois in June 2023, Vilardi has been a fixture on the Jets' top line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor and is an integral part of a power play that was atop the NHL last season. With soft hands and an ability to make things happen down low, Vilardi is a great facilitator — especially on the man-advantage — and he's got a nose for the net, delivering three consecutive seasons of 20 goals or more (27, 22 in 47 games with the Jets in 2023-24 and 23 in 63 games with the Kings in 2022-23. Vilardi was on track to eclipse 30 goals comfortably, but suffered an upper-body injury against the Buffalo Sabres in March. After returning late in the first round against the St. Louis Blues, Vilardi had a goal and four points in nine playoff games. Vilardi is expected to speak with reporters about the new contract early next week. This is the type of deal that makes sense for both sides. With the new deal, Vilardi gets the security of six years and a significant raise from the US$3.44 million AAV he had during the previous two seasons with the Jets. For the Jets, they've locked up a top-line player and get cost-certainty with a player they value as the salary cap is set to rise dramatically during the next several years. Vilardi was one of three Jets to file for arbitration and two of those cases (including Morgan Barron's) have already been settled, the lone restricted free agent remaining is defenceman Dylan Samberg. GARETH PATTERSON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Gabriel Vilardi has been a fixture on the Jets' top line and is an integral part of a power play that was atop the NHL last season. According to Puck Pedia, the Jets have just under US$10 million of salary cap space available to them, with 22 of 23 projected roster spots spoken for. That number includes forward David Gustafsson, but not defenceman Ville Heinola — who looks like the odd-player out at this stage of the proceedings. A long-term extension for Samberg has been projected to be in the range of US$5.25 million to $6.25 million range by various outlets – so the Jets can comfortably fit him under and have some room to maneuver leading up to the NHL trade deadline should they be looking to upgrade the roster. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has already taken care of plenty of off-season work, taking care of five of his six restricted free agents – including right-winger Parker Ford, who agreed to a two-year, two-way deal on Friday afternoon. Ford's AAV is $812,500 and he will receive $775,000 in the NHL in the first season, with an American Hockey League salary of $125,000 and a guarantee of $150,000. In the second season, Ford will earn $850,000 in the NHL, with an AHL deal of $250,000 and a guarantee of $300,000. Ford made his NHL debut for the Jets last season against the Boston Bruins and suited up in three games, scoring against the Bruins, the team he grew up cheering for in Rhode Island. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The feisty forward also had 14 goals and 21 points in 41 AHL games before suffering an injury late in the season. Getting a new deal for Samberg, who grew into one of the most important blue-liners on the roster last season as he flourished in a second-pairing role, remains a top priority for the Jets. The to-do list also includes extensions for captain Adam Lowry and Connor, both of whom could become unrestricted free agents on July 1 of 2026 and became eligible for an extension earlier this month. X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld Ken WiebeReporter Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken. Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
