It was a whirlwind 2025 for Jared Wright. The 23-year-old wrapped up his junior season at the University of Denver and turned pro immediately after his team was eliminated in the Frozen Four.
After signing his entry-level contract and a PTO, Wright suited up in three regular-season games for the Reign and both of the team’s playoff games. For Wright, it was an eye-opening experience and an opportunity to evaluate and prepare for his upcoming full rookie campaign.
“The games at the end of last year definitely helped me prepare for the physicality and pace of the game,” Wright said. “The difference from college is the consistency in how hard guys play. Everything is moving faster, and the execution level is way higher.”
Now, let’s fast forward to the 2025-26 season, when it hasn’t taken long at all for Wright to make an impact for the Reign halfway into the season.
Wright is tied for the team lead in goals for a rookie with nine and is second among the team in points as a rookie with 16. In addition to those stats, Wright’s plus-17 rating leads all skaters on the Reign, regardless of experience. It’s been a really nice start for the rookie and his impact is one that will have to go beyond goals and assists at the NHL level. Wright has never forecasted to be a 30-goal scorer, but as a mid-round pick, he was targeted with certain intangibles in mind. He takes pride in those things, on top of some solid early production.
“I’m still learning the consistency part and trying to make an impact on the game any way I can,” he said. “I’m not much of a scorer, but if I can get in on the forecheck, backcheck, and contribute in other ways to help the team win, I will.”
From the perspective of the coaching staff, Assistant Coach Brad Schuler had a similar answer.
It’s been a good stat, he’s happy with that, but the ceiling is higher. Schuler believes that Wright could improve on his positioning as an area to refine his game, just like every prospect needs to do when making the jump to the AHL, as they aim to reach their ultimate goal of making the NHL.
“I think he’s off to a good start. He’s come in and worked hard, but most importantly, has worked on his craft,” Schuler said.
Wright’s success should be credited to how well he has played in his role this year.
In fact, it’s the same role he had in college under David Carle at one of the nation’s most successful programs at Denver. Wright’s role on the team has been a defensive winger who kills penalties, gets in on the forecheck, and is used in a shutdown role when the Reign are holding a lead in late-game situations. Having already served that role at Denver, it has made his transition to the pro level an easier one.
“I think so,” the first-year pro said, noting a smoother process that comes along with that. “Sometimes I can get too focused on my offense to the point where I need to take a step back and understand what a good game from me is. For me, it’s making it hard for the opponent to transition to offense and creating offense for my linemates. Also being responsible in the defensive zone to earn the coaching staff’s trust to put me out on the ice in the last minute of a game,” Wright said. “That’s what I want to keep working on in the second half. I have to earn their trust every day,” he added. “I have to be good defensively and have even gotten rewarded with penalty kill time. [The coaching staff] has done an incredible job with me, especially [Chris Hajt] on the penalty kill…It’s definitely helped me with my growth so far as a pro.”
Earn the coaching staff’s trust he has.
There hasn’t been any hesitation to use Wright in key situations, even as a young player. Whether it be late game, penalty kill, or even overtime, Wright has had his name called in those moments.
“The players will earn that trust through their actions on the ice in games, in practices, and off the ice,” Schuler said. “Wright’s actions are earning that trust and so the credit goes to him for that.”
One reason for that trust is Wright’s skating ability.
If you watch him play, you’ll notice what his calling card is within the first period of observation. His speed is his ultimate skill and it’s something that can impact the game. It’s utilized on the forecheck or transitioning from defense to offense and vice versa. Wright credited his blazing speed to his mom, as she was a track star, while Schuler noted it as a “separating skill” for him within games.
Blazing speed, though, can sometimes just get you to the wrong place faster. That’s an area the staff is working with him on. As he grows, that speed will become even more of a weapon to lead him to the NHL.
“If there is one thing to work on, it’s his positioning,” Schuler said. “He has to learn how to utilize his speed to his advantage. Sometimes he can go a little too quickly. He has to learn when to go and when to slow down, while also remaining a strength of his [to use his wheels].”
Despite it being a strong start to the season, there are always going to be ebbs and flows for incoming rookies. Players often hit a rookie wall.
For players coming out of college like Wright, 41 games into an AHL season is the total amount, or close to it, of games played in a collegiate season. Although Schuler admitted the rookie wall isn’t a myth, it’s also something he isn’t concerned about with Wright, as he believes he has the tools to power through it when that time comes.
“I think the rookie wall can be a thing,” Schuler stated. “A player like Jared is so committed to his craft that it won’t be because he isn’t doing everything that he needs to do. He’s diligent on and off the ice and takes care of himself. Maybe he’ll hit a stretch where it gets tougher but he has the tools to work through that.”
As the Reign’s season has surpassed the halfway mark and is entering the dog days of the season, Wright wants to continue making an impact, especially on plays that won’t show up on the box score.
To play in late-game situations, you have to sometimes make the simple play. Having done those things for a number of years, valuing that part of the game is already there.
“Getting the puck out,” he said as an underrated priority. “You see so many times in the AHL, even at the NHL level, when it’s a turnover, [the puck] will end up in the back of your net. It seems like a little play, but it means so much.”
While plays like that aren’t the glitz and glamour like goals and assists, they are plays that mean a lot and ones that a player has to do to make the NHL.
Lots of ways to reach the NHL. For Wright, he might not be the next goalscorer the Kings need. But there’s a lot of things the Kings need. Wright makeup of tools, and the way he’s started to apply them, certainly fall into that bucket. One to look for, especially heading into next season, with a chance to continue to make some noise within the organization.
“They’re paramount,” said Schuler. “He has to do those things. He has a separating skill but his other attributes need to be up to par. He has those things and will continue to work on his craft.”