Cole Perfetti didn’t find out about his future in some dramatic front-office setting or while glued to his phone at home. He was on the way to the family cottage with his parents, dealing with a broken Sea-Doo lift, when his agent, Pat Brisson, called with news that changed the rest of his career.
By late afternoon, the Winnipeg Jets forward had a five-year contract extension in place.
“It was awesome, obviously, having my parents there,” Perfetti said. “Being able to be with them right away was awesome. I'll never forget that day for sure, just hanging out at the lake and enjoying that.”
The deal came after Perfetti had filed for arbitration earlier this month, a move he described as procedural and meant to protect his rights. But he made it clear the process was never headed toward a hearing.
“We obviously had to file for arb and go through that process,” Perfetti said. “I don't think it was ever a serious thought. I know on our side we definitely didn't want to go there.
“My family, myself, we love it here. It was never any worry about that.”
That matters in Winnipeg, where players who have gone through arbitration with the club - Jacob Trouba, Andrew Copp and Eric Comrie - are no longer with the team, and each has spoken about how tough the process can be. Perfetti and the Jets kept working toward a middle ground, and eventually landed on a five-year agreement that keeps one of the organization’s young core pieces under contract through the 2030-31 season.
For Perfetti, the biggest relief isn’t just the money. It’s the end of the summer uncertainty.
Over the last three seasons, his offseasons have come with contract talk hanging over them, including a drawn-out negotiation two years ago that stretched into training camp. This time, the arbitration timeline gave him a different kind of calm.
“It was a lot easier this year,” Perfetti said. “Knowing the date and knowing that it's going to be done in this time, it just put my mind at ease a lot more. I felt really good about it.”
Now, with the contract signed, he says the mindset is different too. He’s heading into what he hopes will be the longest offseason of his career, has spent more time on the ice than ever before, and says he feels healthier than he has in years after an injury-plagued season.
“It’s a completely different mindset, different approach this year.”
“Two of the last three years have been contract years for me. There is a little bit of extra pressure. You want to make sure that you play well and perform.
“Now to be able to just kind of settle in for five years, dig my roots in and be able to just go be the person and player that I know I can be is really relaxing.”
The Jets’ commitment also sent a message to Perfetti about where the organization sees him going from here.
“The confidence that the organization instills in you, that the coaches instill in you, and that you get as an individual, is huge,” he said.
“They're showing to you what they think of me and what they believe I can become, and the player that I can be. That goes a long way for your confidence.”
With that comes more responsibility, and Perfetti said he’s ready for the expectations that now follow the new deal.
“I expect a lot from myself on the ice this year to take a major step from last year,” he said.
“The management has obviously put that faith in me. So now it's my job to go out there and play and live up to those expectations.
“Leadership and responsibility comes with that as well. I'm definitely going to work on that and continue to grow not just as a player but as a person, within the community, at the rink, on the ice, everywhere within Winnipeg.”
For now, the contract is done, the future is set and the pressure of negotiations is gone. Somewhere at the family lake, there may even still be a Sea-Doo lift that brings the whole story back to the day everything changed.
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