Jets Assign Prospect Kevin He To AHL
The Winnipeg Jets assigned prospect forward Kevin He to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose today.
Manitoba is currently down 1-0 to the Milwaukee Admirals in a best-of-three first-round playoff series. He’s OHL season ended April 16 when his Flint Firebirds were swept by the Windsor Spitfires in the second round of the playoffs. This reassignment gives He the chance to potentially make his professional debut in a do-or-die playoff contest for the Moose.
He, who turns 20 in one week, concluded a second consecutive OHL campaign scoring above the point-per-game mark. He totaled 36 goals and 75 points in 62 games for the Niagara IceDogs in 2024-25, and managed 39 goals and 77 points in 60 games between Niagara and Flint this season. He had served as the IceDogs captain since the start of last season, until his trade to Flint.
While He’s current stint with the Moose may very well not last through the weekend, the bigger test for his future will start next fall. He is set to begin his professional career then, most likely with Manitoba.
The Moose struggled to score for much of this past season, finishing third-to-last in the AHL in total goals scored with 185, the fewest among playoff teams by a wide margin. They ranked No. 31 in the AHL in scoring the year prior, and No. 25 in 2023-24. He, along with other Jets forward prospects, will be tasked with helping to reverse that trend next season.
Jets Sign Kevin He To Entry-Level Contract
The Jets have signed left-wing prospect Kevin He to his three-year, entry-level contract, per a team announcement. The forward, amid his third season of major junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs, is the first Chinese-born player in league history to sign an NHL contract.
He, 18, was a fourth-round pick by Winnipeg in last summer’s draft. He was named captain of the IceDogs before the 2024-25 campaign started. That move foreshadowed a significant breakout for the Beijing native, who’s second on his club with 23 goals and 43 points through 29 games. That’s also good enough to put him in the top 15 of OHL scoring league-wide.
He has Canadian citizenship and was regarded as a mid-round talent by most in last year’s cycle. Elite Prospects lauded his “elite motor,” which, combined with his 6’0″, 181-lb frame, likely gives him enough offensive projectability to become not just the first Chinese-born player under contract but also the first one to make his NHL debut.
His deal will be subject to an entry-level slide for 2024-25, as he’s not expected to see NHL ice. If he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season as well, his ELC could slide to as late as 2026-27. He’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry, regardless. Winnipeg did not disclose the contract’s financial terms.