Brown Joins Jets Organization
Published on April 17, 2026 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release
Waterloo, Iowa - Two-time NCAA Champion Garrett Brown has signed a two-year entry-level NHL contract, the Winnipeg Jets announced on Friday.
Brown spent part of the 2022/23 season with the Waterloo Black Hawks, including the final 18 USHL games during his junior career. The defenseman moved on to the University of Denver, where he was part of the Pioneers' NCAA title-winning teams in 2024, then again earlier this month as the program celebrated a successful Frozen Four run in Las Vegas. The Jets had originally selected Brown during the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Late in the 2022/23 regular season, Brown was traded to Waterloo from the Sioux City Musketeers. He recorded two assists and was +3 during a two-month run with the Black Hawks. Brown also skated in three Clark Cup playoff games that spring.
Across three seasons at the collegiate level, Brown played in 83 NCAA games. He scored four times and assisted on 20 other goals. Brown's final appearance for the Pioneers featured assists on both Denver goals during their 2-1 National Championship Game win over the Wisconsin Badgers on April 11th.
Another former Hawks defenseman has become a regular in the Winnipeg lineup during recent seasons. Dylan Samberg has played in 282 NHL regular season games - all with the Jets - including 66 during the recently completed 2025/26 season. Like Brown, Samberg won multiple NCAA titles before starting his professional career; Samberg played college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth.
Ten former Black Hawks appeared in at least one NHL game last season. The group includes Brown's Waterloo teammate Sam Rinzel, who was in his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Brown's two-year deal with the Jets will begin next fall. In the meantime, he will join Winnipeg's American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, for the remainder of their schedule.
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