DALLAS — On a day marked by profound personal loss, Mark Scheifele joined his Winnipeg Jets teammates at the arena and is set to play in tonight`s Game 6. For Scheifele, the team represents a second family as they fight to extend their National Hockey League season.
Scheifele, who has been with the Jets longer than any other current player, received the somber news on Saturday morning that his father, Brad, had passed away during the night following an illness. Brad Scheifele was 68 years old.
Head coach Scott Arniel shared in a late-afternoon press conference how much the news impacted everyone. After spending the day with Scheifele at the team hotel, Arniel confirmed, “Mark will be playing tonight. As he said, that would be the wishes of his dad — that he would want him to play.” Arniel added that Mark`s father was a strong supporter, having been seen cheering the team on during the previous series, and that Mark is deeply motivated to play in his memory tonight.
Despite securing a commanding 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 on Thursday, a game where Scheifele delivered an outstanding performance, the Jets still find themselves trailing 3-2 in this second-round playoff series. They face elimination tonight and must win in Dallas to force a decisive seventh game back home in Winnipeg on Monday.
Tristan Blackwood