Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Judy Owen The Canadian Press
Cole Perfetti is contributing significantly to the Winnipeg Jets' success this season as part of their top line alongside Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. In Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, Perfetti scored his third goal of the season and added an assist in the 3-2 victory. The trio has been effective, with Perfetti and Connor accounting for eight of Winnipeg's 12 goals early in the campaign. Perfetti’s contract extension worth $30 million over five years reflects his growing importance to the team, despite previous injury setbacks that limited his playing time last season.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
WINNIPEG - Cole Perfetti is fitting in and it’s a good feeling.
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it → fit → ?
The Winnipeg Jets winger picked up his third goal of the season on Wednesday playing on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor in a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.
“Just trying to complement them any way I can and be the best trio we can be,” said Perfetti, who also has three assists on the season.
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who → pick → season
“Obviously, those two have played together for a while and their chemistry is off the charts, their hockey sense is off the charts.
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sense → play → charts
For me just coming in as a new guy to the line, just trying to be the most effective I can and get them the puck because they’ll make good things happen.
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things → come → puck
Last season, Winnipeg’s top line was Scheifele flanked by Connor and Gabe Vilardi, who’s taken Perfetti’s place on the second line.
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who → flank → line
Early in the 2026-27 campaign, Connor and Perfetti have been Winnipeg’s scoring duo, accounting for eight of the team’s 12 goals.
Connor’s two against the Avs included the game-winner with one minute left.
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two → account → minute
The tally extended the Jets’ (3-0-1) season-opening point streak to four games.
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tally → extend → games
Perfetti’s goal against Colorado wasn’t achieved with finesse.
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goal → achieve → finesse
He went to the front of the net and the puck hit his skate and went in past Mackenzie Blackwood after a point shot by Dylan Samberg.
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puck → go → Samberg
That’s just fine with Connor.
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That → ’ → Connor
“He does a lot of things well,” he said of Perfetti.
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he → do → Perfetti
“You see the (goal Wednesday), he just wins body position.
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he → see → position
It’s such an underrated thing for a player — to get to the net and find that lane.
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player → ’ → lane
“He makes plays and he’s smart, too.
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he → make → plays
It’s real good.
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It → ’ → ?
He’s adjusted great.”
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He → adjust → ?
Perfetti, a 24-year-old forward from Whitby, Ont., was selected by the Jets with the 10th pick overall in the 2020 NHL draft.
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Perfetti → select → draft
He became a regular on the roster in 2022-23, but was hit by injuries and has only played 82 games once in 2024-25.
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He → become → 2024
Last season, he missed 14 games with a high-ankle sprain.
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he → miss → sprain
The five-foot-11, 185-pound product of the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit started slow in his return, with just three goals over his first 27 games of the campaign.
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product → start → campaign
Now times have changed for the better.
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times → change → better
“It’s fantastic,” Perfetti said.
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Perfetti → ’ → ?
“Obviously, it was a long summer so I had time to heal and really get my body into the shape that I wanted it to be.
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it → have → that
I spent a lot of time in the gym and on the ice and worked on a lot of things.
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I → spend → things
It’s nice to know that it is off to a good start and paying off right now.
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it → ’ → start
“It’s nice to get that opportunity.
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It → ’ → opportunity
It’s always great to move up and get more and that’s what every player strives for.”
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player → ’ → what
Now in his sixth NHL season, Perfetti has 62 goals and 163 points across 294 regular-season games.
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Perfetti → have → games
In July, he signed a five-year, US$30-million extension that takes him through the 2030-31 season.
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that → sign → season
With points in all four of Winnipeg’s games, he’s having a career-best start to the season.
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he → have → season
Connor leads the team with five goals and seven points.
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Connor → lead → goals
Scheifele picked up his first two points of the season against the Avalanche, assisting on one of Connor’s two goals and Perfetti’s marker.
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Scheifele → pick → goals
Jets head coach Scott Arniel said he gave Perfetti the opportunity on the top line for a variety of reasons, including his skill set and hockey IQ.
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he → say → set
“(Scheifele and Connor) can really help people play well because they have the puck a lot, but they are also hard to play with,” Arniel said.
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Arniel → help → puck
“It takes some time.
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It → take → time
“In the exhibition games, I know Cole was getting frustrated because he didn’t know where to go, but K.C. and Mark spent time with him.
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K.C. → know → him
When they’re here, they’ll tell him to go there, those types of things — being on the same page.
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they → ’re → page
Now he’s got them figured out.”
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them → get → ?
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
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