Sheldon Keefe ejected during Maple Leafs loss, Connor Bedard plays NHL '94 and Laurent Brossoit gets praise as one of the best back-ups

Days after it was reported that the Winnipeg Jets could be in danger of relocating if fans didn't start filling the rink, NHL Commissioner travelled to Canada Life Centre and said nothing could be further from the truth.

“Let’s be clear about something," Bettman told reporters on Tuesday. "I believe this is a strong NHL market. It will adjust."

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly went one step further, calling the Jets a model franchise. "We wish we had 32 of these,” he said.

Hours after both spoke, the Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 in front of 13,139 fans — well short of the arena's 15,321 capacity.

Ouch!

So, getting a buy-in from the fans continues to be an issue. Thankfully, the players have been buying in.

After all, if the Jets were in danger of leaving, then why did Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck commit long-term, signing identical seven-year extensions that will keep them in Manitoba until 2031? 

The stars believe in Winnipeg. Those who didn't were moved out of the city last summer, as evidenced by the Blake Wheeler buyout and the trade of Pierre-Luc Dubois.

As head coach Rick Bowness told me at the All-Star Game last month, loyalty was a common theme during exit meetings at the end of last season. 

"Everyone told us, ‘We just want players here that want to be Winnipeg Jets,’ ” said Bowness, adding that Scheifele's and Hellebuyck's long-term commitments "was a strong signal to every player in that organization and for the fan base.”

Indeed, now it's time for the fans to commit to this team by filling the seats. Lucky for them, there's a reason to come out. The Jets have been one of the top teams in the Central Division all year. They have a goalie in Hellebuyck who is probably going to win the Vezina Trophy. And play a stifling defensive style that always does well in the playoffs.

If that's not enough to get fans out to the game, I don't know what is.

The Top-10 Trending Stories

1) 'Not Going There': Sheldon Keefe Ejected as Maple Leafs' Winning Streak Snapped in Loss to Golden Knights: Fiery head coach was ejected late in regulation after arguing an offensive zone penalty to Mitch Marner.

2) 'He Deserves It': Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness has the utmost faith in goaltender Laurent Brossoit, and rightly so.

3) Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno Faced Off in NHL '94 in Honor of Chelios' Jersey Retirement: "I was born in '94, but I've never seen one of these"

4) Erik Johnson Open To Being Traded If Sabres Approach Him: The 35-year-old defenseman has three goals in 49 games with Buffalo this season

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