Jet Greaves has had a whirlwind of a calendar year with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 25-year-old netminder began the 2024-25 campaign as the third-string goalie in Columbus behind Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov and finished the season winning five straight games in April and falling just two points short of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
This season, Greaves took the lion’s share of the starts in net with the Blue Jackets, going 26-19-9 with a .908 save percentage and 2.60 goals-against average as he solidified himself as an NHL goaltender.
He ended the hockey season by claiming Canada’s starting role at the 2026 World Hockey Championship, going 6-2 with a 1.88 GAA and .920 save percentage in a fourth-place finish.
“Maybe I don’t take as much time as I sometimes should to appreciate it, but I’m so grateful for the experience, it’s been so fun,” Greaves told TSN1050’s First Up on Friday while vacationing in Switzerland. “To be able to play in the National Hockey League, to be able to play for Team Canada at the World Hockey Championship, these are things you dream about.
“It’s a balance of enjoying it but also learning and improving. That, for me, is such an exciting part of this game and this life. There are always things to improve on.”
Greaves’ path to the NHL was a challenging one after signing with the Blue Jackets as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
He began his professional career with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings to start the 2021-22 campaign before being called up to the American Hockey League to play for the Cleveland Monsters.
The 6-foot netminder then took the starting role in Cleveland for three seasons, getting the occasional taste for NHL action with Columbus until his big break at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
“There have been so many impactful people that come to mind [that’s helped me along the way],” said Greaves. “So many people have supported me since I’ve been playing hockey as a kid. They’ve always believed in me and gave me every opportunity to play the game and continue pursuing it.
“I played in Kalamazoo a little bit when I was 20 and it was such a different experience living away from home, living in a new country and [goalie coach] Joel Martin and [head coach] Nick Bootland helped me so much to make me comfortable and create a natural experience.”
Greaves says he’s had great relationships with his goalie coaches throughout his short professional career, including Brad Thiesson in Cleveland and Manny Legace when he first arrived in Columbus.
Former NHL netminder Niklas Backstrom is the current goaltender coach with the Blue Jackets, and Greaves likes to get his opinion since Backstrom has gone through many of the trials and tribulations that Greaves will go through.
“It’s just awesome having him there,” said Greaves. “He has so much experience because he’s had such a great career himself. Just to be able to learn from him and pick his brain every day.
“I’m the one out there every day playing, but it’s really so many people who are behind every save and every moment.”
Greaves’ experience at the World Hockey Championship was another feather in his cap as he got to experience international hockey for the first time while rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the game.
Team Canada featured superstars like Sidney Crosby and Macklin Celebrini, while also including perennial all-stars like John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Mark Scheifele, and Evan Bouchard.
He believes just watching how those players operate and how they prepare for games will help him in the future.
“[Celebrini and Crosby] are in different points in their careers, but they are two of the best players in the game and two great people,” said Greaves. “When you spend a little bit of time around those guys, it’s easy to see why they have the success that they do. They approach the game the right way; they put in a lot of work to prepare and recover.
“They mentor people too, which I think is the biggest thing that anyone who knows those guys would say. They’re great people and great teammates, which goes a long way. So many guys on that team are great players in the NHL who have had great careers. So, to be around so many of those guys where I can learn from them, ask them questions about their experiences is such an amazing experience that I enjoyed so much.”
Greaves’ path to the successful career he has now is uncommon in the NHL, and it may have been understandable if he lost motivation along the way. However, he said it’s his faith and love for the game that kept him on his path, and he is reaping the rewards for it now.
“For me, my faith is just a huge foundation for me because it helps me be present,” said Greaves. “I know that I don’t always control everything that’s going to happen but just being present in each moment is super important to me.
“I think at the end of the day, I’ve always just loved playing hockey. I’m always trying to get better and that’s so much what the process is about. If I wasn’t getting paid at all, I would be wanting to play hockey. I grew up with a rink in our backyard, and my favourite memories is just playing hockey with my brother all day after school.
“At the end of the day, it’s the same game, but the setting is just a little bit different. So, I think enjoying it first is foremost has been so helpful to me. Then it’s just trying to learn and improve.”
