Jets sign Cole Koepke, Tanner Pearson to one-year contracts

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets signed forwards Cole Koepke and Tanner Pearson to one-year contracts worth US$1 million each to start NHL free agency, while defenceman Nikolaj Ehlers took his time testing the open market after a decade with the team.

The 29-year-old Ehlers, one of the biggest fish in this year’s unrestricted free-agent pond, didn’t immediately put pen to paper Tuesday as others such as Brock Boeser (Vancouver), Brad Marchand (Florida), Vadislav Gavrikov (New York Rangers) or Ivan Provorov (Columbus) did.

Ehlers has 225 goals and 295 assists in 674 games with the Jets. He didn’t rule out returning to Winnipeg, but other clubs were vying for the Dane. His last contract was a six-year deal worth $42 million.

Pearson, 32, had 12 goals and 15 assists in 78 games for the Vegas Golden Knights this past season.

The winger from Kitchener, Ont., has totalled 150 goals and 162 assists in 722 career NHL games for Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Montreal and Vegas.

Koepke, 27, compiled 10 goals and seven assists in 73 games for the Boston Bruins. The six-foot-one, 207-pound winger has appeared in 99 NHL games with 11 goals and nine assists.

The Jets also made official Tuesday the one-year contract of 37-year-old forward Jonathan Toews attempting a comeback in his hometown.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks missed the past two NHL seasons after stepping away from hockey, citing the effects of Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and long COVID.

Health complications also forced Toews, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, to miss the entire 2020-21 campaign. His contract with the Jets is worth a reported $2 million.

Forward Brandon Tanev, acquired at the March trade deadline by the Jets, signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Utah Mammoth.

Tanev had 10 goals and 12 assists in 79 regular-season games split between the Jets and Seattle Kraken in 2024-25. The 33-year-old from Toronto also skated in 13 playoff games for Winnipeg.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025.