Winnipeg Jets first rounder Colby Barlow has joined the Manitoba Moose – Winnipeg

Winnipeg Jets 2023 first-round draft pick Colby Barlow joined the Manitoba Moose for his first practice with his new team on Wednesday.

Barlow was reassigned by the parent club from the minor league team in Owen Sound over the weekend after the offense was eliminated from the OHL playoffs.

The 19-year-old forward is getting his first taste of professional hockey, but he got to know some of his new teammates after attending Jets Development Camp with them last summer.

“They greeted me right away when I walked into that room,” Barlow told reporters after practice. “Each of them came to introduce themselves with a smile. that's good. Like I said, it's special and exciting to be here, especially at playoff time.

After scoring 79 points in his draft year, Barlow had 58 points last season, but he still reached the 40-goal plateau for the second straight campaign.

“He competes hard for pucks,” Moose head coach Mark Morrison said. “He has a great shot. He's a smart player and we're happy to have him here.”

Barlow had a bit of a rollercoaster season thanks to injury after being selected by the Jets with the 18th overall pick.

“It's had its ups and downs,” he said. “I had a bit of an injury there, but it was fine. This year I've been healthy and learned a lot, overcome some challenges, but I'm happy to be here and start a new chapter for however long it takes.”

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The Moose don't play again until Saturday, so Barlow will have three days of practice to learn the system and adjust to his new surroundings. And the plan is to get him game action, but they want to ease him into the pro game with only five games left in the regular season.

“We have to be careful what we put him in,” Morrison said. “And when we put it in, make sure it's set up for success, not failure. He's learning the systems and he said the practice is tough, so yeah, he's learning a lot and he's a smart kid so he's picking things up quickly.”

But Barlow will have to adjust to the speed of the professional game.

“When that opportunity comes, I'll be as ready as possible for it,” Barlow said. “Do whatever I can to help the team or contribute as much as I can.”

The Elks wrap up the home portion of their regular season schedule with games against the Iowa Wild on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

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