Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo is a solid presence on the blue line, and he opened up how the city of Winnipeg really feels like a true home for his family. Since last spring's devastating playoff defeat, everyone assumed Dylan DeMelo would <a href='https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/10/21/this-community-is-amazing' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>be fine and far from Winnipeg, like so many NHLers</a> who bounce forevermore to their summer cottages. But for DeMelo, the Ontario native who discovered something special in Manitoba's capital, home remains here. This community is amazing. People here I'm going to have as life-long friends. I'm just so fortunate, DeMelo, 32, said. It's been a dream fit. The Jets? They're Winnipeg, he said. It's funny, I'll go to my kid's school and be like 'Hi there, it's nice to meet you.' And they're like 'We know who you are.' People will say 'You guys are so down to Earth. Well, yeah, we're just very fortunate to play a sport for a living. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/mikemcintyrewpg/status/1980788480298086693'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> He and his wife Jessica have embraced life in Winnipeg, raising sons Caleb, 4, and Eddie John, 15 months, and living in the city nearly year-round. <h3>Dylan DeMelo has really immersed himself with the locals of Winnipeg</h3> That commitment has put DeMelo among the select few players who have become a part of the fabric of the community, coaching Timbits hockey, conversing with neighbors, and living local life. He's also gained a first-hand understanding of Winnipeg's attachment to sports heroes. That loyalty is built on pride, and occasionally, on defending the city. DeMelo won't shy from defending the city when it's disparaged in player surveys or free-agent rumor campaigns. He was a San Jose Shark in 2017-18 when teammates used to good-naturedly rib Winnipeg as cold and dark. But having experienced it, he advises those rendering judgment that they don't accurately represent its close-knit population and open-armed citizenry. It's not a fair representation. And it is sometimes disappointing because I know how much Winnipeg has to offer, and how much the organization is trying to be the best that they can be, said DeMelo. Once you're here, you don't want to go. The DeMelo family believes that Winnipeg was best for their children, and they loved the society in which they now reside. Even their summer return visits to Ontario are more of mini vacations than an exodus. On the ice, DeMelo remains a success story. Following his points career high in the 2022-23 campaign, he reset that again last season, leading one of the NHL's best defensive teams and watching partner Josh Morrissey mature into an elite blue-liner. Winnipeg isn't where Dylan DeMelo plays; it's where he's home.