Jets sign Jacob Julien to entry-level contract

The Winnipeg Jets announced Thursday that the club has signed forward Jacob Julien to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Originally chosen by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Julien has spent the past three seasons with his hometown London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.

Through 58 appearances with the junior club this season, Julien has notched 10 goals and 35 assists to sit seventh in team scoring with 45 points coupled with 48 penalty minutes and a plus-15 rating. Julien also put together an impressive 2023-24 campaign where through 67 outings he notched 29 goals and 49 assists for 78 points before adding another 18 points through as many postseason appearances en route to a J. Ross Robertson Cup championship.

“His career started off slow, but he has established himself as one of the most menacing power forwards in the OHL,” Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis said. “His skating isn’t bad for his size, either, although it’s not a strength yet. He plays with a ton of strength, and he’s difficult to beat in 1-on-1 situations. He took a step back offensively this year, but I can see Julien becoming a solid fourth-liner.”

A natural leader, Julien was named an alternate captain of the Knights in the early portion of the 2024-25 campaign. In all, through three seasons with London totaling 165 career contests, Julien has notched 48 goals and 91 assists for 139 points. Julien has also recorded 25 points through 38 total postseason appearances with the Knights. Prior his OHL career, Julien scored 84 points over two seasons and 58 games with the Junior-B London Nationals.

Julien was originally chosen by the Knights with the 41st pick in the 2021 OHL Under-18 Priority Selection.

On the season, the Knights are 48-9-2-0 and sit atop the OHL standings with 98 points.