Former Windsor Spitfires defenseman and 2017 Memorial Cup Champion Jalen Chatfield signed a contract extension in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes.
What a journey it has been for the Michigan native Jalen Chatfield. It has never come easy for him, but he’s continued to show perseverance and dedication to his craft, which has helped him earn a brand new contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Thursday, the Canes announced a three-year extension worth $9 million ($3 million annual cap hit) for the right-shot defenseman. He’s coming off a career season, scoring eight goals and 22 points in 72 games while seeing his average time on ice climb up to 15:11.
However, after veteran defenseman Brett Pesce went down with an injury in the first round of the playoffs, Chatfield was thwarted into a bigger role in Carolina’s defense core. He averaged around 19 minutes a night in their second-round series against the Rangers, and you could see that he had earned the trust of Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour.
With Brett Pesce most likely gone and signing elsewhere in free agency, and Brady Skjei’s status with the team up in the air. The Hurricanes made tidy work to lock up the 28-year-old blueliner who has shown incredible determination to get to where he is today.
Jalen Chatfield’s journey to the show started in the OHL. But he wasn’t a high draft pick or a highly sought-after player while playing his minor hockey in the USA. No, he was an undrafted free agent signee when he was 18 years old by the Windsor Spitfires.
The Spitfires signed him on June 21, 2014, and the young defender immediately adjusted to the OHL, securing a full-time roster spot and finishing second on the team in scoring among defensemen with 21 points.
In the 2016-17 season, Windsor hosted the 2017 Memorial Cup. They had a strong season as a team, recording 90 points and posting a record of 41-19-5-3. Unfortunately, they had a tough first-round matchup as the No. 5 seed going up against the No. 4 London Knights, and lost in Game 7.
I guess the silver lining was that the early first-round exit gave the team lots of rest before the Memorial Cup tournament. And it paid off.
The Spitfires and Chatfield, while in his third and final OHL season and wearing an ‘A’ for his team, would go undefeated and defeat the Erie Otters in the tournament final to win the franchise’s third Memorial Cup Title.
An undrafted player from the OHL who became a winner while playing an impactful top-four role as a shutdown defenseman. It really doesn't get any better than that.
Despite his efforts, he was never drafted into the NHL, but he was recognized and signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks in March 2017.
Chatfield could’ve given up on his dreams of making the NHL when he was 16 or 17 having not been drafted into the OHL and playing for the Belle Tire 18U AAA team for two seasons. But he battled through the adversity and never gave up.
His journey is one that young hockey players out there should take note of. It’s proof that hard work does pay off.