The Winnipeg Jets and the rest of the NHL continue to remain pretty much quiet as we approach mid-July. Teams continue to assess what their rosters look like as of today, before the trade market and “secondary” free agent market begin to heat up. Yesterday, on July 12th, 2012, the Jets re-signed a player who was a success story from that so called “secondary” free agent market: Kyle Wellwood. A fan-favourite almost everywhere he played, Wellwood had an overall successful two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, and is one of those players that fans continue to remember throughout the years.

Kyle Wellwood’s NHL career began when he was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 5th round of the 2001 NHL draft. The 5’10”, 181 lbs right handed centre had a terrific junior career split between the Belleville Bulls and the Windsor Spitfires. Wellwood’s first pro season with the St. John’s Maple Leafs (AHL) was also a success, as he got 55 points in 76 games, and even played in his first career NHL game. The following AHL season was even better for Wellwood, as he collected 87 points in 80 games. The 5th rounder showed all the right signs that he was ready for the NHL the following season.

Wellwood’s first two seasons with the Maple Leafs were seen as quite the success, as Wellwood collected 45 points in 81 games followed by a 42 point season in just 49 games. In the 2007-08 season Wellwood’s production dipped, only posting 21 points in 59 games, before joining the Vancouver Canucks the following season. Wellwood scored a career high 18 goals in his first season with the Canucks, posting 27 and 25 point seasons. After a brief 25 games in the KHL for the 2010-11 season, Wellwood returned to the NHL to play for the San Jose Sharks, and he scored 5 goals and added 8 assists for 13 points in 35 games.

The following season was when the Winnipeg Jets 2.0 returned to the NHL. Eager to build a good roster for their first season back in Winnipeg, the Jets looked far and wide for roster additions. Around one month before the 2011-12 season, on September 9th, Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets signed Wellwood to a 1 year, $700,000 deal. The minimum NHL salary for that season was around $500,000, so this was a cheap deal that the Jets were hoping to get some value out of during this important and exciting season.

Wellwood exceeded all expectations in his first season as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. In 77 games, Wellwood scored 18 goals (tying his career high) and added 29 assists for a career high 47 points. Aside from his rediscovered scoring touch, Wellwood was a fan favourite in that season, and the nearly 30-year old was looking like he had found a new home to re-energize his NHL career. Wellwood’s play earned him another 1 year deal in the off-season, this time for $1.6 million.

The 2012-13 season wasn’t as nice to Wellwood, as he only played in 39 games, scoring 6 goals and adding 9 assists for 15 points. Despite the dip in production, Wellwood still appeared to be an important member of the Jets as a secondary scoring option, and it looked like he could continue to be worthy of a spot in the Jets bottom six forward group. The Jets chose not to re-sign Wellwood for a 2nd time, and the 2013-14 season would be Wellwood’s final season as a pro hockey player, playing 9 games for Zug Ev in the Swiss league.

Kyle Wellwood retired from professional hockey at the relatively young age of 30 years old. A Swiss reporter who spoke with Wellwood said that his “heart was no longer in the game”, and he returned to North America for non-hockey related opportunities. The news was a bit shocking to Jets fans, but there were always rumours that Wellwood was sometimes not fully committed as a hockey player, and that his interest in hockey peaked in his teenage years. In 2020, Wellwood did an interview with TSN in Vancouver speaking about his decision to retire at the age of 30, and he confirmed that he didn’t fully enjoy the game while he was in the NHL, and with multiple injuries throughout his career building up, he felt that it was time to move on to a new chapter in his life.

Regardless of the reason for Wellwood’s “sudden” departure from his NHL career, Jets fans continue to remember what he provided to this team in his two seasons in Winnipeg. The inaugural season of the Jets 2.0 had Wellwood in a prominent middle six role, and despite the team struggling, he was a player that always gave it his all during what would be the tail end of his NHL career. Wellwood is a prime example of a free agent signing gone right, and a reason for Jets fans to stay optimistic that the Jets moves this off-season could always turn out better than expected.