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WINNIPEG — Initially, it was impossible to know exactly what was said to trigger a rousing round of stick taps at the start of Winnipeg Jets practice. Still, it was easy to assume the subject matter had something to do with the news left winger Kyle Connor had just put pen to paper on a massive contract extension with the club.

Once the equipment had been peeled off, Jets coach Scott Arniel confirmed he kicked off practice by congratulating Connor, with just a little bit of cheekiness thrown into the celebration.

“I said, ‘We have some very big news; [rookie Nikita Chibrikov] just signed a two-year extension,â€â€ Arniel relayed with a smile. “That got a good giggle, and I said he took less so we could get Kyle signed.â€

With respect to Chibrikov and the deal he made a couple days ago, not much can lighten the mood around a squad like a star player doubling down on his commitment to the only franchise heâ€s ever competed for.

“Yeah, itâ€s awesome,†Connor said of the eight-year, $96-million contract extension the Jets announced he signed on Wednesday morning. “Both sides were working hard to get this done before the season and I couldnâ€t be more thrilled and excited to be part of this organization for the next eight, nine years, including this year.â€

Of course, the feeling is mutual. Arniel said he was thrilled to get the Tuesday-night call from Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff informing him that the two sides had hammered something out.

“Just in my short time here with [Connor], from him getting married, having a child, to having the last two years, especially, the breakout years he had and the recognition heâ€s starting to get around the league that maybe he wasnâ€t getting [before], people know who he is now and they know how good of a talent he is and how important he is for us,†Arniel said.

The coach noted it was especially great to learn this big bit of business had been knocked out before the Jets start their regular season Thursday night at home versus the Dallas Stars. Last year, Nikolaj Ehlerâ€s pending free agency was a season-long subplot before he ultimately signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite best intentions, Arniel acknowledged itâ€s tough for a player to be laser-focussed while twisting in the wind.

“We went through that last year with [Ehlers],†he said. “Itâ€s just hard for the player. Youâ€re thinking about what you have to do to help [the team] win and go out on the ice and be the best player you can be, and then youâ€ve got that sitting in the back of your mind and certainly as the season goes on, youâ€re thinking about it. For [Connor], thatâ€s all off his mind now, he can just go be the best player he can be.â€

“To hear [from Cheveldayoff] it was completed and completed before the season, so itâ€s not kind of a distraction, itâ€s awesome. [Connor is a] fantastic individual, an elite player, one of the elite goal-scorers in the league and to have him here for a long time, thatâ€s great for us.â€

That was a view shared by Mark Scheifele, who knows a thing or two about what Connor just went through. It was two years ago that Scheifele, along with Connor Hellebuyck, inked twin seven-year, $59.5-million contract extensions to forgo free agency right on the eve of the 2023-24 campaign. Given both players†performance since then — Scheifele is a point-per-game centre playing beside Connor on the top line and Hellebuyck is the reigning league MVP, for goodness†sake — those cap hits are extremely team friendly, especially with the salary ceiling projected to make appreciable gains in coming years.

Scheifele said there was no tension around Connor re-setting the bar in the Jets dressing room with the richest contract in franchise history, outstripping the deals he and Hellebuyck inked a relatively short time ago.

“Just happy for him,†Scheifele said. “Thatâ€s tremendous and just very, very happy for him and happy for myself, too. I get him for the rest of my career, so thatâ€s pretty exciting news.”

Even from a league-wide perspective, you can certainly argue the Jets did well to get Connor signed for a $12-million hit. The number is right in line with what Mikko Rantanen and Mitch Marner signed for in 2025, and those elite wingers are playing for teams with no state tax in Texas (Rantanen) and Nevada (Marner). Now consider that Kirill Kaprizov — who, like Connor, was taken in the 2015 draft — just inked an eight-year extension that carries a $17 AAV. Since Kaprizov entered the league at 23 years old in 2020-21, heâ€s posted 1.21 points-per-game mark. While thatâ€s superior to Connorâ€s 1.05 mark during the same span, itâ€s still jarring to think Kaprizov — whoâ€s only one year younger than the 28-year-old Connor — accounts for $5 million more per year on the Wildâ€s ledger than Connor does in Winnipeg.Â

Any way you slice it, everyone from Jets fans to members of the organization to, of course, No. 81 himself must be happy with how things played out. And while Ehlers did choose to depart as a UFA, Cheveldayoff and his staff have done great work since the end of last season to lock up core pieces like defenceman Neal Pionk, Connorâ€s linemate Gabe Vilardi and, now, Connor himself on long-term pacts. Throw the deals Scheifele and Hellebuyck signed a couple years ago in the mix and that stereotype nobody wants to play in Winnipeg evaporates fast.

“Weâ€ve said before itâ€s hard to get guys, free agents, to come here,†Arniel said. “But once we get [players] here and get a grasp on them, get a hold on them, we dig in on them, they recognize how special it is to play here.â€

For his part, Connor contemplated what life outside Winnipeg might be like, but the idea of leaving — even if it meant he could sell his services to the highest bidder — never took.

“I reflected on it at the end of [last season] and gave it some thought, but there was never any scenario where I could see myself going somewhere else,†he said. “This team, these guys here and this organization has been nothing but top-notch. And like I said earlier, just giving you every chance you can to succeed and all the tools [you need]. I wouldnâ€t want to try to win a Stanley Cup with another group of players in [a different] organization. So once you really start thinking about it, thereâ€s no other place.â€

Now he wonâ€t have to think about it ever again.

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  Kristen ShiltonOct 8, 2025, 10:24 AM ET

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  Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.

The Winnipeg Jets took care of business ahead of their regular-season opener, signing top forward Kyle Connor to an eight-year, $96 million extension on Wednesday.

It’s the richest contract in Jets franchise history, earned by one of their most consistent performers. Drafted by Winnipeg 17th overall in 2015, Connor has scored 30 or more goals in seven of his eight full NHL seasons to date and surpassed the 40-goal mark in two of his past four campaigns.

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In 2024-25 he collected a career-high 56 assists and 97 points in 82 games and ranks top 20 among all NHL skaters in goals (153) and points (331) since 2021.

Winnipeg finished atop the league standings last season with a 116-point effort that only carried them to a second-round playoff defeat against Dallas. Keeping Connor in the fold was critical for the Jets to maintain their position as a contending team in the Western Conference. Winnipeg’s core includes Hart and Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, top center Mark Scheifele and blueliner Josh Morrissey.

Connor, 28, is now one of four Jets — including Scheifele, Gabriel Vilardi and Neal Pionk — locked in through 2030.

This could be the start of a big year for Connor. He represented Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and was part of their Olympic orientation camp over the summer ahead of NHL players returning to participate in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games.

Winnipeg hosts its first game of the season on Thursday at home against the Stars.

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  Greg WyshynskiOct 8, 2025, 10:39 AM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

Days after signing superstar Connor McDavid to a two-year extension, the Edmonton Oilers have locked up one of the most important championship players around him in defenseman Mattias Ekholm.

Ekholm, 35, signed a three-year, $12 million extension Wednesday that starts in the 2026-27 season. Ekholm is in the final season of the four-year contract signed with the Nashville Predators in 2021 that carries a $6 million average annual value. He would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Entering his 15th NHL season, Ekholm had 33 points (9 goals, 24 assists) in 65 games last season for the Oilers. His 22:11 in average ice time was third on the team. One of Edmonton’s primary penalty killers, Ekholm also sees time on the power play.

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The Swedish defenseman’s comportment and facial hair also inspired a group of Edmonton fans called “The Dancing Ekholms,” who attend games in horned helmets, kilts and war paint to honor their “Viking Warrior.”

Ekholm’s signing comes two days after McDavid agreed to a two-year contract extension with a $12.5 million AAV, a steep hometown discount that gives general manager Stan Bowman cap flexibility to build a winner around the star center.

Bowman immediately went to work, signing Ekholm and defenseman Jake Walman (7 years, $49 million) to contract extensions. The Oilers now have nine players signed through the end of McDavid’s deal in 2028.

Edmonton is coming off its second straight defeat to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers have played in the postseason in six straight seasons.

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The Canadiens have a very exciting situation about to unfold with their horde of young talent.

From Cole Caufield to Lane Hutson to Ivan Demidov to Juraj Slafkovský, it feels inevitable that the Habs will be a menace for years to come. Patrik Laine was a big part of their breakout last season as a weapon on the power play, however, and his legacy as an offensive spark plug could make him a hotly pursued player next summer.

Laine’s elite shot makes him a threat to score any time he’s on the ice, and many contending teams love to have specialists like that in the lineup to make teams pay, especially for taking penalties.

Are there questions about his commitment to defensive play? Yes, 100 percent there are absolutely.

However, Laine is 27 years old, which, when it comes to unrestricted free agency, would make him one of the younger players available to sign. Sure, names like Evgeni Malkin, Mats Zuccarello, Claude Giroux, and Alex Ovechkin make our heads spin at the possibility of them signing somewhere else for a year or two for juicy money, but the likelihood of those guys changing addresses seems really, really low.

Laine would certainly come with a “buyer beware” advisory, but former 30-to-40-goal scorers offer the tantalization of maybe being able to do it again.

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Xavier Woods has reportedly signed a multi-year contract extension with WWE, per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com.

The 39-year-old Woods has been a professional wrestler since 2005. He was with TNA from 2007-2010 before later signing a developmental contract with WWE in 2010. Three years later, Woods made his main roster debut, and he’s been there ever since.

He’s made a major impact with The New Day, winning the tag team championships a total of 12 teams (five Raw, seven SmackDown). He and Kofi Kingston most recently won the World Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania against the War Raiders before dropping the belts to The Judgment Day a few months later on the June 30 edition of Raw.

Woods also won the NXT Tag Team Championship once with Kingston.

On an individual level, Woods notably won the 2021 King of the Ring tournament, beating Finn Bálor in the final at Crown Jewel.

Away from the ring, Woods, under the name Austin Creed, started the wildly successful and popular UpUpDownDown YouTube channel, which has 2.44 million subscribers. Creed plays video games and talks with a host of WWE Superstars on the channel. Of note, he most recently played Borderlands 4 with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.

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According to a new report, Xavier Woods signed a multi-year extension with WWE last month.

Fightful reported the news on Tuesday, noting that his contract would have been up in September had a deal not been reached. Negotiations are said to have gone down to the wire.

Woods, Big E, and Kofi Kingston signed five-year deals with WWE in December 2019, although Woods may have had injury time added onto his, pushing its expiration to last month. He missed much of 2020 after suffering an Achilles tendon rupture.

Woods first signed with WWE in the summer of 2010 as a 24-year-old. Prior to that, he wrestled in TNA Wrestling as Consequences Creed from 2008 to 2010, once holding the promotion’s tag titles along with Jay Lethal. He also had one tour with New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2010, teaming with Kota Ibushi in the Super J Tag Tournament, where they lost in the opening round to Gedo and KUSHIDA.

Xavier Woods has re-signed with WWE on a multi-year contract, myself and @FightfulSelect are reporting.

A lot of details, including when his deal was up and how negotiations went are up for subscribers pic.twitter.com/1q4tAwNPpS

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) October 7, 2025

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  Greg WyshynskiOct 6, 2025, 03:40 PM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

Connor McDavid responded to months of speculation by signing a contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

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Notice how we didn’t say that he “ended” that speculation: McDavid’s contract, which carries an extremely team-friendly $12.5 million average annual value, is only for two years beyond this one, meaning the best hockey player in the world could still become the most coveted free agent in NHL history in summer 2028.

But if you’re the Oilers, you’re taking the glass-half-full approach. Or more to the point, a half-full (Stanley) Cup: Connor McDavid has at least three more chances to bring the first championship since 1990 to Edmonton.

As with any significant decision in the NHL, there are winners and there are losers.

Here’s the fallout from Connor McDavid’s new contract:

WINNER: Connor McDavid

Since it’s only a two-year extension, McDavid will have a slew of questions about why he chose that term and what it means for his ultimate future in Edmonton. But then after those questions are asked and answered, McDavid will focus on winning a Stanley Cup in Edmonton and a gold medal for Canada this season without being burdened with speculation. With this season and then two more, those questions can wait until at least September 2027.

This deal was done before the first puck was dropped on the NHL season, and one has to assume Connor wanted it that way.

With McDavid’s contract situation settled, the entirety of the rumor mill will now focus on Crosby’s future with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s a topic that Crosby is already sick of discussing but one that’ll grow in volume with each Penguins loss — and the pundits are predicting a lot of Penguins losses this season.

At least McDavid’s pending unrestricted free agency lured some of that spotlight away from Sid. Now, he’s the primary fuel source for this season’s rumor industry.

With McDavid signed for two seasons beyond this one, the rumor mill will be churning on overdrive regarding potential Sidney Crosby trades. Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images

WINNER: Edmonton fans

When Oilers fans would say that McDavid wasn’t going anywhere, it sounded more aspirational than emphatic.

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Maybe this season would be the last shot. Maybe he desired to play for one of the NHL’s glamour franchises, or one he felt had a longer contention window than Edmonton’s.

Visions of teary-eyed news conferences of the past filled their memories, like that time the other greatest player in franchise history ended up being The Great One in Los Angeles — heck, the Kings were even one of the teams that had the cap space ready for Connor next summer.

But he chose Edmonton. Not for the long term — at least not now — but he chose Edmonton. To continue living there. To continue playing there. Because he wanted to bring a championship there.

LOSERS: Everyone else

No McDavid rumor mill. No McDavid free agency frenzy. No McDavid arriving in New York or Dallas or Los Angeles or Tampa Bay or (gasp) Toronto to elevate those teams into immediate Stanley Cup favorite status. No hearing the faint sounds of the “Imperial March” as we tuned in to watch McDavid taking his talents from Edmonton to the highest bidder.

Yes, the smart money was always on him staying in Edmonton. It doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t be a little bummed that he left all that fun on the table — along with over $100 million in free agent riches.

WINNER: Stan Bowman

McDavid decided on Monday that he wanted to ink a two-year extension with the Oilers. That was after months of contemplation about whether — and if so, for how long — he wanted to commit to Edmonton. Part of that process was sitting down with Bowman to hear the GM’s plans for the Oilers moving forward. Ultimately, they got him to remain an Oiler for a few more runs at the Stanley Cup.

Now, one could say that the pitch enticed McDavid to remain with the Oilers for only two more seasons beyond this one, which might not say much for its effectiveness. And one could say that McDavid having essentially given Bowman money out of his pocket to spend should empower the player to have more say in organizational decisions. But, c’mon, no franchise player has that kind of pull within the organization.

On an unrelated topic: Congratulations to Oilers’ coach Kris Knoblauch, who coached McDavid in juniors, on his new contract, given to him by Jeff Jackson, who is CEO of hockey operations and used to be McDavid’s agent.

LOSER: The Oilers’ runway

Now comes the hard part: Building a team around McDavid and fellow Oilers star Leon Draisaitl that can finally celebrate a Stanley Cup championship; or, failing that, one that convinces McDavid that the future in Edmonton is bright enough for him not to take his stuff and leave in 2028.

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There’s frankly a better chance of the former happening than the latter.

The defending Western Conference champs bring back most of the same roster as last season, although the loss of Corey Perry might doom their Stanley Cup Final karma. After that, Bowman has some decent money coming off a rising cap next summer, including both goaltenders.

McDavid is essentially Uncle Jimmy in Season 4 of “The Bear,” slamming down a countdown clock until the restaurant is a success or goes bust. Bowman will spend the next three years frantically pawing at ingredients to find the right recipe.

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are two of the NHL’s elite-tier talents. However, a Stanley Cup has thus far eluded them. Steph Chambers/Getty Images

WINNER: GM empowerment

Every NHL general manager has, at some point, tried to sell a player with an expiring contract on taking a little less to help the team in a salary-capped league. Most times, that player will absolutely refuse to be the victim of past contractual mistakes by management — maybe there’s a small hometown discount, but the stars want to be paid as such.

It used to be that Sidney Crosby was the model for contractual sacrifice, as he has had the same $8.7 million AAV since the 2008-09 season. Back then, it was 15.3% of the cap. On his latest extension, it’s 9.1% of the cap. As of now, McDavid will make 12.0% of the cap in 2026-27, although that could still decrease.

It’s team-friendly to the point that he’s not even the highest-paid player on the Oilers. Every GM in the league is going to harmonize when saying in unison: “Be like Connor.”

If the Oilers win during that two-year deal … well, now they have proof of concept, too.

LOSER: NHLPA

Any time a player decides to take less than market value, it’s not exactly a rising tide lifting others’ boats.

While the NHLPA was no doubt thrilled that Kirill Kaprizov got the Minnesota Wild to improve on what was already a record-breaking offer to settle on the highest value ($136 million) and AAV ($17 million on an eight-year term) in league history.

But the mind boggles at what McDavid could have landed as the most coveted free agent in hockey history, instead of maintaining his current cap hit for two more seasons.

WINNER: Leon Draisaitl

As I reported earlier this year, Draisaitl’s decision to sign an eight-year contract extension through 2033 did not mean that McDavid would commit long term to the Oilers, too.

As it stands, Draisaitl will have McDavid feeding him pucks for the next three seasons at a minimum. That’s three times better than just having him for the 2025-26 season, which was certainly a possibility as McDavid mulled his future as a pending UFA.

It’s not ideal, but it’s not catastrophic. And hey, he’s still the highest-paid player on the Oilers! Who saw that coming?

Of all the potential landing spots for McDavid, none would have knocked the hockey world off its axis like the Ontario native taking his talents to the Toronto Maple Leafs. A 1-2 punch of McDavid and Matthews might have convinced even the most cynical Leafs fans that the team could win its first Stanley Cup since 1967.

Alas, after losing Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights in the offseason, Matthews will have to wait until summer 2028 to potentially play with McDavid … when they’re both UFAs … and coincidentally share the same agent. Now that’s a fun summer.

For now, Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews will remain on separate teams on opposite sides of the continent. Leila Devlin/Getty Images

WINNER: McDavid’s legacy in Edmonton

Assuming he plays the full term, McDavid will have given Edmonton 13 years of his life — after a bunch of draft lottery balls bounced the Oilers’ way in 2015 — in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

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He has lifted the team to two straight Cup Finals and three conference finals overall, to the point where he was just the second skater in NHL history to win playoff MVP in a losing effort. Two additional seasons might not sit well with some Edmonton fans, especially after Draisaitl committed to eight more seasons last September.

But the majority of fans likely see this as McDavid propping the contention window open by leaving a Scrooge McDuck money bin of free agent riches on the table, and giving the Oilers added cap flexibility. If he leaves in 2028, he won’t have abandoned Edmonton — it’ll be after giving that franchise his everything. If it ends without a Cup, it’ll be the Oilers’ legacy to have squandered it.

LOSER: The state income tax debate

The advantages for those teams that play in states without income tax have been restated and hotly debated ever since the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights started lifting the Stanley Cup. Players such as Brad Marchand have noted that a lack of state income tax has enabled teams to maintain roster consistency and attract talent.

But it didn’t lure McDavid on this contract. Which, as Panthers executive Roberto Luongo cheekily tweeted, doesn’t really stoke the fires of this burning issue:

No state tax strikes again! https://t.co/NCRxsSFBOy

— Strombone (@strombone1) October 6, 2025

He might still end up playing in Florida or Las Vegas or Dallas when this contract is up. But for now, he’s committed to playing in Alberta, where the income tax rate is 15%.

We’ll just have to wait for the Panthers to win a third straight Stanley Cup over the Oilers for that debate to reignite…

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The Minnesota Wild have signed starting goaltender Filip Gustavsson to a five-year, $34 million extension, general manager Bill Guerin announced Saturday.

It’s the second major piece of business for the Wild this week after they signed star winger Kirill Kaprizov to a record-breaking eight-year, $136 million deal Tuesday.

Gustavsson, 27, was entering the final year of his contract that paid him $3.75 million annually. The Swedish goaltender emerged as one of the NHL’s most dependable starters last year, playing a career-high 58 games. He went 31-19-6 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage and finished sixth in Vezina Trophy voting, securing two third-place votes.

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A 2016 second-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Gustavsson spent the first two years of his NHL career in Ottawa before he was traded to Minnesota in 2022 for veteran goalie Cam Talbot. Gustavsson initially split the net with veteran Marc-Andre Fleury in Minnesota before taking the reins as the Wild’s starter.

Fleury retired this summer. Jesper Wallstedt, a 2021 first-round pick, is poised to be Gustavsson’s backup this season.

The extension means the Wild have locked down most of their core players under the age of 30 on multiyear deals, including Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Brock Faber. Minnesota also has several players on entry-level contracts who should be key contributors this season, like Liam Ohgren, David Jiricek and Zeev Buium.

Gustavsson’s contract also comes at what many NHL evaluators have called a thin time for the goaltending market.

Minnesota finished fourth in the Central Division last season, which once again is shaping up to be the most competitive in the NHL. The Wild are looking to rebound after last year’s first-round exit to the Vegas Golden Knights.

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The Minnesota Wild are locking up their core for the foreseeable future.

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson is signing a five-year, $34 million contract extension with the Wild, the team announced Saturday.

The deal is worth $6.8 million in average annual value and will begin in the 2026-27 season, going through the 2030-31 campaign.

Gustavsson was set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He originally signed a three-year, $11.25 million deal with the Wild in 2023.

The 27-year-old enjoyed a solid season between the pipes last year, earning a 31-19-6 record with a .914 save percentage and a 2.56 goals-against average.

His play helped him finish sixth in Vezina Trophy voting and 18th for the Hart Trophy.

Originally selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins 55th overall in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Gustavsson was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2018 before debuting in Canada’s capital in the 2020-21 season. He was then dealt to Minnesota in 2023.

Over his five-year career, the six-foot-two, 184-pound netminder has tallied an 83-59-20 record with a .913 save percentage and a 2.67 GAA.

The move to sign Gustavsson comes after the Wild also penned superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract — the richest in NHL history — on Tuesday.

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  Greg WyshynskiOct 2, 2025, 02:43 PM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

The Anaheim Ducks have locked up defenseman Jackson LaCombe, a key part of their rebuilding team, on an eight-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday.

The deal carries a $9 million average annual value, a source told ESPN on Thursday, the same AAV as the deal defenseman Luke Hughes signed with the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, although that was on a seven-year term.

LaCombe’s contract is the largest ever given out by the Ducks and will begin in the 2026-27 season and end in 2033-34. He has one year left on a two-year bridge deal ($925,000 AAV) that he signed in 2024.

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Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek said extending LaCombe was “a priority” for the team and that the young defenseman has “all of the tools to be an anchor on our back end for many years to come.”

“Both sides were looking at long-term deals, so I think it came together pretty quickly,” Verbeek said after the Ducks’ practice in Irvine, California. “What we’re all trying to gauge the landscape of where salaries are going [with the future NHL salary cap], so I feel really comfortable with the contract and the character of Jackson LaCombe. And the player, and I still think there’s lots of upside and growth in his game. I think the best is still to come from Jackson.”

LaCombe, 24, was selected No. 39 in the 2019 NHL draft. He has 60 points in 148 NHL games, with a career-best 14 goals and 29 assists in 75 games last season for the Ducks as he formed an effective pairing with bruising veteran defenseman Radko Gudas.

LaCombe said it was an “easy decision” to go long term in Anaheim.

“I love it here,” LaCombe said. “I love being here. I love playing here. I love all my teammates here, too, so for me it was an easy decision. … It’s easy to live here. You could say the weather [is a positive] and the place is so nice, but just the group we have has been great for me. Everybody has been so welcoming for the last two years, so I’m grateful for that and I’m just excited to be here for a long time.”

A Minnesota alum, LaCombe was invited to the U.S. men’s Olympic orientation camp, putting him in contention for a spot on the 2026 men’s hockey team that will contend for gold in Italy. LaCombe helped the U.S. win gold at the 2025 world championships — the Americans’ first gold at the event in 92 years.

LaCombe is the first player to re-sign in the Ducks’ large class of restricted free agents coming up next summer. He was slated to be an RFA alongside center Leo Carlsson, left wing Cutter Gauthier and defensemen Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov.

“Jackson is the first domino to fall, and we’re working on other stuff as well,” Verbeek said.

Overall, LaCombe is the second big signing for Verbeek in the past week. The Ducks and restricted free agent center Mason McTavish agreed to a six-year, $42 million extension Saturday, ending a contentious negotiation that kept him out of training camp.

Anaheim is seeking its first playoff berth since 2018.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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