The Winnipeg Jets have turned to a familiar Manitoba name for their emergency backup goaltender role in 2026-27, giving Altona’s Cole Kehler a chance to spend the season inside an NHL setup.
The Altona Maroons announced Thursday that Kehler has been selected by the Jets to serve as the team’s EBUG. The 28-year-old had most recently been working with the Maroons as their goaltending coach, and the club said the new job will keep him occupied for the next 10 months as he trains, practices and travels with Winnipeg.
“We couldn’t be happier for Cole as he takes advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” the Maroons wrote in announcing the news.
For Kehler, it’s a return to an organization he already knows. He previously attended Jets training camp ahead of the shortened 2020-21 season, then signed a one-year deal with the Manitoba Moose. That season, he appeared in three games for Manitoba and went 2-1-0 with a 2.52 goals against average.
Born and raised in Altona, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound goaltender took the long route through pro hockey. He played junior with the Kamloops Blazers and Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League before signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings as an undrafted free agent in December 2017.
His pro stops included the Manchester Monarchs, Fort Wayne Komets, Rapid City Rush, Cincinnati Cyclones and Utah Grizzlies in the ECHL, along with AHL appearances for the Ontario Reign and Moose.
After that, Kehler came back home to Altona. He played for the Maroons and later moved behind the bench as the team’s goaltending coach.
His new role with Winnipeg leaves the Maroons needing a replacement goaltending coach for 2026-27, but the club said Kehler plans to return once his time with the Jets is done.
“Cole has committed to returning to the Maroons when his time with the Jets organization is finished,” the team wrote, adding that he will return with additional “knowledge and experience gained from his time working alongside an NHL organization.”
As an EBUG, Kehler would be available if the Jets or their opponent were left without two healthy goaltenders during a home game. If that scenario ever came to pass, the former Moose netminder would be one step from an NHL debut in his home province.
The rules for emergency backup goalies include wearing No. 00 and having fewer than 80 professional games while never having suited up in an NHL game.
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