“We are excited to sign Jackson to a long-term contract and lock up a core player for our future,” said Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek. “Getting this deal done early was a priority for us. Jackson has all of the tools to be an anchor on our back end for many years to come.”
LaCombe’s 14 goals in 2024-25 were the most by a Ducks defenseman since 2010-11 (Lubomir Visnovsky, 18). He also became one of eight defensemen in club history to record 40 or more points, joining Scott Niedermayer (four times), Cam Fowler and Chris Pronger (three times), Oleg Tverdovsky (twice), and Dmitri Mironov, Fredrik Olausson and Lubomir Visnovsky (once).
“Today is an exciting day for my family and I am grateful to the organization for their belief in me,” said LaCombe. “It was an easy decision for me to commit my future to the Ducks and Orange County. We are building something special here and I am excited to do everything I can to help this team win.”
The 6-2, 208-pound defenseman recorded 2-15=17 points and 24 PIM in 71 games with Anaheim in his first NHL season in 2023-24. He ranked seventh in assists and eighth in points among all-time Ducks rookie defensemen. He made his NHL debut with the Ducks at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season following his collegiate career, appearing in two contests. He scored his first career NHL goal Jan. 20, 2024 at San Jose in addition to his first career NHL point (assist), Oct. 15, 2023 vs. Carolina.
Selected by Anaheim in the second round (39th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, LaCombe recorded 19-80=99 points with a +53 rating and 47 PIM in 140 career NCAA games with the University of Minnesota (Big Ten) from 2019-23. He led Minnesota defensemen in points and goals in each of his final three seasons, including 2020-21 (4-17=21 in 27 games) and 2021-22 (3-27=30 in 39 games) and 2022-23 (9-26=35 in 37 games),. He also ranked in the top-10 of all NCAA blueliners in points in 2020-21 (eighth) and 2022-23 (tied fourth), and assists in 2020-21 (fifth, 17), 2021-22 (tied second, 27), 2022-23 (tied seventh, 26).
LaCombe helped the Golden Gophers reach the 2023 NCAA championship game as a senior in 2022-23 while he helped Minnesota reach the Frozen Four three times (2020, 2022 and 2023). At Minnesota, he was named to the NCAA Second All-American Team in 2020-21, to the Big 10 First All-Star Team in 2020-21 and to the Second All-Star Team twice (2021-22, 2022-23). As a freshman in 2019-20 he earned Big Ten All-Rookie Team honors.
A native of Eden Prairie, Minn., LaCombe helped Team USA win gold for the first time in 92 years at the 2025 World Championship. He scored 2-3=5 points and ranked third among tournament leaders with a +11 rating. He also helped the Americans win gold at the 2021 World Junior Championship and represented his country at the 2018 U-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
