On Saturday, the first day of free agency in the National Hockey League, the Detroit Red Wings signed 28-year-old J.T. Compher to a five-year, $25.5 million contract. Compher, a former Michigan hockey standout from 2013-16, spent the first seven years of his NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche prior to Saturday’s signing.
The 6-foot, 190-pound forward now reunites with former Michigan teammates Andrew Copp and Dylan Larkin in Detroit. The trio spent the 2014-15 season together in Ann Arbor before Larkin and Copp made the jump to the NHL, while Compher stayed for his junior season, when he was a part of the famous ‘CCM’ line along with Kyle Connor and Tyler Motte.
In three seasons at Michigan, Compher stuffed the stat sheet with 39 goals and 79 assists for a total of 118 points over the three-year period. He played in 107 games and fired off 294 shots during his time in Ann Arbor.
The highlight of Compher’s professional career came in 2022 when he helped the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup Finals victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
Compher joins an up-and-coming Red Wings squad that will look to make a playoff push and secure a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016.
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