Wearing the Maple Leaf lived up to the hype for DeMelo

When Dylan DeMelo stepped into the dressing room and saw his name and number on the back of a Team Canada namebar, that’s when things really sunk in.

The Winnipeg Jets defenceman was already excited about the prospect of suiting up for his country in an international event for the first time of his career at the age of 33 before he even got overseas for the 2026 IIHF men’s world hockey championship, but the experience definitely lived up to the advance billing.

“It was kind of like a dream come true feeling,” DeMelo said on Tuesday after the Jets held a captain’s skate. “I never had that chance ever. For me, it was super cool.

“It was an amazing experience and it just gave you a boost of confidence coming into the year.”

Sharing the ice with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Macklin Celebrini, along with teammates Mark Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi for the event created some memories and bonds that will last a lifetime.

But it also comes with a clear caveat.

“Hockey Canada took care of us and it was a great tournament,” said DeMelo, whose team finished fourth after losing in overtime to Norway in the bronze medal game. “Happy I did it and hopefully never have to do it again.”

The reason DeMelo is hoping he doesn’t get to participate in another world men’s hockey championship is because his preference is to be going on long Stanley Cup playoff runs instead of being available to head overseas in the spring.

DeMelo wasn’t planning on being eligible to be chosen in May either, but that changed after the Jets couldn’t overcome a lengthy losing skid that left them outside the playoff line in the Western Conference standings (and 26th overall) after winning the Presidents’ Trophy the prior season.

“For me, whenever we don’t get to where we want to get to, I take it personally,” said DeMelo. “As an older guy, ‘How could I have led better? How could I have maybe done things better?’ There was a lot of self-reflection for me.

“It wasn’t so much our game in that we lacked ability, we just lacked so much confidence in our own game. I don’t know where that confidence left to. We weren’t playing on our toes and we were playing tentatively. We were playing quite tight all year, it felt like.”

DeMelo is confident in the team’s ability to deliver a bounce-back season, even with the questions surrounding the future — and likely departure — of star goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

“You’re always striving for more, and I feel like that’s kind of the nature of our business and the nature of us individually,” said DeMelo. “For myself and I think the team, until we win the Stanley Cup, we’re going to keep asking questions, going to keep trying to find ways in order to get over that hump. Obviously, last year was a huge disappointment. But we still feel confident in what we got.”

At the worlds, DeMelo got a first-hand look at 2026 first-round draft pick Viggo Bjorck before he was chosen eighth overall by the Jets and he was impressed by the Swedish centre.

“It’s exciting. Exciting for our group, exciting for the organization,” said DeMelo. “To be able to get a guy like that. We haven’t drafted that high in a long time. So to get a guy that looks like he can step in and hopefully be a contributor right away is crucial for our group. A young guy, a lot of energy, a lot of speed. He’s got some skill for sure.”

The defenceman noted that Bjorck also has a great demeanour.

“We’re kind of messing around three-on-three and it’s not full tilt, but he’s got great instincts and a great feel for the game. Smaller guy but he gets in there, he’s feisty,” said DeMelo.

“That’s what I kind of noticed at worlds, too. He was right in there and as a centreman, too, going against Sid or (Ryan) O’Reilly or Celebrini, all these guys. He was playing against men over there, he was playing world championships first line. He’s fast-tracked in that sense. We’re going to do everything we can to make him comfortable here and hopefully make that transition as easy as possible for him.”

Speaking of Crosby, DeMelo was impressed that Bjorck wasn’t intimidated by him either on the ice or off.

“At worlds there I felt he was really tenacious and really went after guys and wasn’t kind of star-struck I guess until after the game, asking Sid for (an autographed) stick. I was teasing him, saying, ‘jeez, you’ve played one game against him and you had more stones to ask him for a stick than I’ve had in my career.’”

Did Bjorck inspire DeMelo to request a souvenir stick of his own from the Pittsburgh Penguins captain?

“No, I’m still afraid to ask him for one,” he said. “But now that I’ve played with Sid and I guess after Viggo broke the seal I can ask him for a stick this year and maybe get one.”

DeMelo is also excited about the addition of former San Jose Sharks blue-liner Mario Ferraro, who joined the Jets on July 1 as a free agent and shares a similar personality to Nate Schmidt.

“You guys are going to love him. A lot of energy. You’ll probably hear him before you see him, a lot like Schmitty when he was here,” said DeMelo, who had three goals and 19 points in 82 games last season. “I’ve always admired (Ferraro’s) game. He plays hard, he plays the right way. I don’t think you can have too many guys like that around.

“I’ve met him a few times at weddings for ex-teammates in San Jose. He was kind of the life of the party, a guy that works hard and is one of those character guys that you want to go to battle with. I think he’s going to be a great fit for us.”

Jets captain Adam Lowry expects the experience at the worlds to serve DeMelo well this season and beyond.

“You get to meet a lot of guys from around the league and play with different guys, talk to different guys, and see how they approach the game,” said Lowry.

“You can pick up things, from different coaches, different players, going over there, getting some extra hockey and getting to play with some of the best players in the world. It can do a lot, kind of springboard you into the off-season and then into the next season. So, Dylan’s a bright guy. He usually tries to take advantage of those situations.”

winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe