After a whirlwind year that saw him take the reins as the starting goaltender in Columbus and for Team Canada at the IIHF World Hockey Championships, Jet Greaves punctuated his career season by signing a three-year, $15 million extension with the Blue Jackets earlier this month.
Greaves and the Blue Jackets appeared to be heading towards arbitration, as the parties were nearly $5 million apart in their salary filings prior to the hearing. However, the deal got done just before the hearing, and Greaves is thrilled he could reaffirm his commitment to the organization and the city of Columbus.
“I didn’t really know how everything was going to shake down. I knew that myself, my family, my agents, we all really wanted to commit to Columbus,” Greaves said on TSN Radio on Friday. “I really like it there. The organization, the players, the fans. Everything about Columbus is something that I really love and enjoy.”
Greaves has played parts of four seasons in the NHL with the Blue Jackets after making his debut in the 2022-23 season. He established himself as a possible goaltender of the future in Columbus in 2024-25 by going 7-2-2 with a .938 save percentage and a 1.91 goals-against average in 11 starts.
He built on that promising run last season, posting a 26-19-9 record with a .908 save percentage and a 2.60 GAA in 53 starts.
The 25-year-old finished the year with the men’s national team at the World Championships in Switzerland, where he made eight starts for Team Canada and backstopped them to a bronze medal while recording a 1.88 GAA and .920 save percentage.
“It’s fun to look back at the different moments. I think back to that, and I really had no clue how things were going to turn out,” said Greaves. “I believe that things can work out in a positive way. I believe in the process that we’re putting together.
“I’m just so grateful for the way that things have worked out over these past few years and I really enjoyed each step along the way.”
The Cambridge, Ont., native was signed by the Blue Jackets as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and became the fifth goalie in club history to win 25 games in a season in 2025-26.
As Greaves continues to develop into a front-line starting goaltender in the NHL, he discussed how his role models growing up shaped his game and the most important aspects of his game as he ascended through the OHL’s Barrie Colts, to the ECHL and finally to the NHL.
“I was a huge Henrik Lundqvist fan when I was a kid. Carey Price as well. I think every goalie in my age group, Carey Price was the guy. Just like the way he was so poised, and I think kind of made everybody want to play how he played,” said Greaves.
“I’ve spoken a lot with my goalie coaches over the past few years about being really focused on the process. The results in goaltending can come and go so much. It’s been really important just to stay focused on how I’m playing and what I can control.”
