A familiar name is heading back to the Central Division.
Former Minnesota Wild draft pick Michael Milne has signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets organization, giving the 23-year-old winger a fresh opportunity after spending last season with three different organizations and four different teams.
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Milne was originally selected by the Wild in the third round (89th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft after a standout WHL career with the Winnipeg Ice.
He spent parts of four seasons in Minnesota’s organization, developing with the Iowa Wild while making his NHL debut during the 2024-25 season against the Dallas Stars.
‘Saturday Night, State of Hockey, Couldn’t Ask For Much More’: Mikey Milne Set To Make His NHL Debut
‘Saturday Night, State of Hockey, Couldn’t Ask For Much More’: Mikey Milne Set To Make His NHL Debut Wild prospect Mikey Milne is set to make his NHL debut tonight against the Dallas Stars.
In 172 career games with Iowa, Milne recorded 32 goals, 33 assists and 65 points, including a career-best 15 goals and 26 points during the 2024-25 campaign.
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Minnesota re-signed Milne to a one-year, two-way contract last summer, but his time with the organization came to an end in December when the Wild traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Boris Katchouk.
After appearing in 19 games with the Syracuse Crunch, Milne was dealt again before the trade deadline to the Detroit Red Wings organization, where he finished the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL.
Now, Milne is returning to the city where he starred in junior hockey. He has signed with the Jets organization for the 2026-27 season, joining one of Minnesota’s biggest Central Division rivals.
While Milne is expected to begin the year in the American Hockey League, the move gives him another chance to work his way toward the NHL. If he earns a call-up, the former Wild prospect could find himself facing the team that drafted and developed him just four years earlier.
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For Minnesota fans, Milne remains a prospect who never quite found a long-term opportunity with the organization. Now, his next opportunity will come with a division rival, adding another former Wild draft pick to the Central Division landscape.
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