Former Jets Forward Reveals Why He Abandoned Winnipeg For a New Opportunity in Detroit

Mason Appleton, a Green Bay, Wisconsin native, spent two seasons at Michigan State from 2015-17, recording 17 goals and 36 assists in 72 games.

'I thought Detroit was a great fit for me on the ice. And then off the ice, it made a lot of sense too with my wife and I being from Wisconsin, it's a lot closer than some other teams,' he said. 'It just seemed like the right fit. Free Agency kicks off, it's a stressful time, and things happen that you wouldn't expect but at the end of the day we were very happy to end up in Detroit.'

He led all Spartans freshmen in scoring in his rookie season and was the team captain before choosing to turn pro in 2017 after being drafted 168th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2015.

After splitting early seasons between the Jets and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, Appleton secured a full-time NHL position by 2020-21 with 25 points in 56 games.

Appleton was selected by Seattle in the 2021 expansion draft before returning

He was then selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 Expansion Draft but traded back to Winnipeg in 2022.

In 400 NHL contests, Appleton has notched 57 goals and 81 assists. In the postseason, he's added 12 points in 32 games, highlighted by a seven-assist effort in the Jets' 2025 playoff push to the Western Conference Semifinal.

'Detroit is a team that had a lot of success for a really long time,' Appleton said. 'I think that getting this team back in the playoffs would just be huge, and the sky is the limit from there.'

With deep local ties and NCAA achievement in Michigan, Appleton's homecoming is more of a chance to be a part of bringing back playoff hockey to Detroit.