Gabriel Vilardi said it was a pretty easy decision to re-sign with the Winnipeg Jets.
Vilardi spoke with the media Monday, three days after signing a six-year, $45 million contract with the club.
The 25-year-old from Kingston, Ont., explained how the city and the team have embraced him since he was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in June 2023 and how much Winnipeg reminds him of his hometown.
“I’ve been here two years now and I love it in Winnipeg," said Vilardi, who was a restricted free agent. "I think the opportunity for us to win in our window here of four, five years is something I’m very excited about, and I want to be a part of.
"I love Winnipeg. It’s a great spot. It feels like home to me. The fans, the team, the organization and everybody has welcomed me to Winnipeg since I’ve been there and it’s been great. Pretty easy decision for me.”
"It’s just the whole kinda experience and … the environment being in Winnipeg," he added. "I’m from Kingston, I think similar in a lot of ways, so it’s kind of always had that home feel for me. Me and my girlfriend, Megan, we’ve kinda grown to love Winnipeg and it feels like home to us now. It’s not really any moment or something like that, but just the people, the fans, my teammates, people that work within the Jets organization, everyone’s just been super kind, welcoming and very homey."
Vilardi was drafted in the first round, 11th overall, by Los Angeles in 2017. He spent four seasons with the Kings before he was traded to the Jets as part of the blockbuster deal for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
After recording 36 points during his first season in Winnipeg, Vilardi set new career highs across the board this past year with 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points in 71 games. He also chipped in one goal and three assists during nine playoff games.
With the ink drying on his new deal, Vilardi believes he still has a lot to prove and wants to continue improving.
"I’m hoping in three years, the cap’s going to keep rising obviously, I’d like to be someone who people are saying, 'Wow, that’s a great contract for the Jets,' looking back at it," Vilardi said. "I know everyone has their opinions on the number. Some people say too high, some people say too low. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions. I just want to keep growing and developing my game.
"In terms of my ceiling, I don’t really know what my ceiling is. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s 50 goals or 60 goals because even if I did achieve that, it’s still not good enough. You can always keep climbing."
The Jets finished the season with 116 points to earn the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
Although Winnipeg fell to the Dallas Stars in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, being part of a championship window was a key reason why Vilardi re-signed.
"I think our window is four or five years here, and I think we have a really good shot, and I want to be a part of it," Vilardi said. "I'm super excited to keep growing as an individual, keep growing as a team, and I think our mindset is win now, and we have the team to do it."
