Dylan DeMelo Won’t Play Game Three for Winnipeg

Winnipeg Jets
Photo Credit: Conrad Jack (Inside The Rink)

Dylan DeMelo will not play tonight for the Winnipeg Jets.

Speculation came about DeMelo’s status when he was not practicing with the team on Wednesday, and Scott Arniel told the media that DeMelo simply took a maintenance day.

With warmups wrapping up for the Winnipeg Jets, the Jets defenseman was not a participant in the team’s pregame warmup at Enterprise Center.

The news broke in warmups for the Jets defender as he was not a participant in warmups for the team, and with line combinations coming out, it is confirmed by The Athletic’s Murat Ates that DeMelo is not playing tonight.

Neal Pionk moves up to the first line with Josh Morrissey in DeMelo’s place, while Luke Schenn bumps up to the second pairing with Dylan Samberg. Colin Miller will draw in on the third line with Logan Stanley ahead of the contest.

DeMelo, 31, has one assist in two Stanley Cup Playoff games this season. He played all 82 games for Winnipeg in the regular season, where he posted 19 points (3G, 16A) and was a plus-31. DeMelo came off a career-high 31 points (3G, 28A) in 82 games in 2023-24, where he was a plus-46.

The 6-foot-1 right-shot, right-side defenseman just wrapped up his sixth season with the Winnipeg Jets. The London, Ontario-born player signed a four-year, $4.9 million annual contract with the Winnipeg Jets on June 25th, 2024. The contract is set to expire at the end of the 2027-27 season, when DeMelo is 35 years old.

ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris as the discuss Gavin McKenna making the jump to the NCAA, Pittsburgh and San Jose making additions, and the NHL season to begin on October 7, 2025.
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  2. ITR 46: Offseason Chaos
  3. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening
  4. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again
  5. ITR 43: It's Winning Time

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Conrad Jack

Conrad Jack is a Manitoba based sportswriter covering the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) and the Manitoba Moose (AHL). He also covers the NHL Draft and World Junior Championship for ITR. He writes the Bargain Bin blog which covers NHL News & Rumours.

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