Julian Melchiori

Julian Melchiori (born December 6, 1991) is a Canadian ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Winnipeg Jets organization in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 87th overall (3rd Round) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. He is the nephew of former NHL player Mike Murphy.

Junior
Melchiori began his career playing for the Newmarket Hurricanes of the CCHL. In 39 games, Melchiori scored 7 goals and added 16 assists for 23 points. In 20 playoff games for the Hurricanes, Melchiori scored 2 goals and added 9 assists for 11 points while registering a +6 rating. He was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers, 87th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Melchiori played his next season with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, staying within his limitations and taking care of his own end first. Although he had been a top scoring blueliner within the OJHL, quarterbacking the power play for the Hurricanes, and was believed to have a significant offensive upside, his rookie numbers of 1 goal and 18 assists in 63 games represent a game in transition.

Melchiori signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Thrashers new team, the Winnipeg Jets in March 2012 and made his pro debut – skating in one game for Winnipeg American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the St. John's IceCaps, following an overage season in the OHL. He was minus-one with no points or penalties in his only game with the IceCaps. Melchiori began the year with Kitchener before being traded to the Oshawa Generals in January 2012. He scored 2 goals with 34 assists and was plus-10 with 64 penalty minutes in 61 OHL games between the two teams. Oshawa made the playoffs after finishing third in the East Division. Melchiori scored 2 goals with 1 assist and was minus-two with 2 penalty minus in six playoff games.

In 2012-13, Melchiori made the jump from junior hockey to the AHL as a 20-year-old, skating in 52 games for St. John’s in his first pro season. He scored 1 goal with 7 assists and was -9 with 39 penalty minutes. The IceCaps missed the playoffs after finishing last in the Atlantic Division.

On December 27th 2013, Melchiori appeared in his first NHL game with the Jets, a 6-4 win against the Minnesota Wild He was minus-1 with no points nor penalties in 8:41 minutes of ice time. Shoulder and elbow injuries limited him to 50 regular season games with St. John’s and kept him out of the AHL playoffs. Melchiori scored 1 goal with 10 assists and was plus-19 with 32 penalty minutes for the IceCaps. St. John’s finished second in the Atlantic Division but reached the Eastern Conference finals, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, before falling to the Texas Stars in the 2014 Calder Cup finals. Melchiori spent the entire 2014-15 season with the IceCaps, recording a goal and 5 assists for 6 points in 70 games.

Melchiori would split the 2015-16 season between the Jets and their new AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, potting 3 points and 4 assists for 7 points in 62 games with the Moose, and no points in 11 games for the Jets. In 2016-17, Melchiori played 18 games with the Jets, recording 2 assists.