Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets dealt devastating loss but meet it with courage and heart
DALLAS — Mark Scheifele stepped out of the penalty box and into the arms of his teammates. Game 6 couldn't have ended worse for the Winnipeg Jets but there they were, waiting to hug him, even after the series-ending handshake line had begun.
Scheifele played Game 6 against the Dallas Stars for his father, Brad, who died overnight Friday, and for his teammates, whose hearts broke for him once when they heard the news and again when Thomas Harley scored in overtime for a 2-1 win. That it was Scheifele in the penalty box, called for a late third-period tripping penalty that negated a breakaway, was a cruel end to an already devastating day.
Advertisement
Adam Lowry hugged Scheifele as the Stars celebrated. Lowry then waited beside the swarm of Jets, each embracing Scheifele in turn, each trying to console him at an inconsolable time.
'You want to give him the strength,' Lowry said, fighting back tears. 'You want to get that (penalty kill) so bad… We just couldn't do it.'
For Scheifele, Game 6 started as a way to honour his dad. It ended with more heartbreak, but not without courage in the face of a devastating loss.
The timing of Brad Scheifele's death was a surprise, but the Scheifele family had the chance to make a plan. What would Mark do if his dad, whose health had taken a turn, died during the playoffs? The Scheifele's family decision — made privately, lived publicly — will go down in Jets playoff lore: Scheifele would play, and he would play his heart out.
That's exactly what he did. It was Scheifele who dragged the Jets out of their disjointed start, finishing off the game-opening goal.
THAT ONE WAS FOR DAD 💙 pic.twitter.com/gI5Zj2MeGd
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) May 18, 2025
Scheifele followed up on Nikolaj Ehlers' stopped breakaway attempt, winning the puck off the left wing boards and firing his own shot attempt. Scheifele then snuck behind Alex Petrovic to stuff Kyle Connor's rebound between Jake Oettinger's pads.
Neal Pionk, who was one of Winnipeg's other top players in Game 6, was blown away by Scheifele's performance.
'For him to play tonight and play the way he did is flat out, one of the most courageous things I've ever seen,' Pionk said.
Pionk is well aware of the importance of community during difficult times. He has mourned the death of his close friend, Adam Johnson, in part with the help of the Jets.
He said Winnipeg's players wanted to send Scheifele the message that they were there for him.
'We're a family, Scheif's a big part of our family, and we're here for him no matter what. That was a 'We weren't leaving the ice without him' kind of thing,' Pionk said. 'We did everything we could to get him and his family a win, just didn't pull through.'
Advertisement
Winnipeg's Round 2 series loss can be picked apart in a number of ways. There was the Jets' inability to win a game on the road. There was Mason Appleton's weak shot, stopped by a diving Oettinger after Connor and Lowry worked a brilliant passing ice to get Appleton a cross-ice feed. There was Petrovic's kick goal, the Jets' ensuing Game 3 collapse, and there was also the Jets' mediocre performance at home in Game 1. Winnipeg's series-opening game (and Mikko Rantanen's hat trick in that game) may eventually come to haunt Winnipeg more than the devastating end to Game 6. The analysis of Winnipeg's season and upcoming offseason will come in the coming days.
But the story of Winnipeg's Game 6 loss is inextricably connected to Scheifele and the loss of his dad.
Scheifele was just trying to get the puck to the net with 22 seconds left in the third period, but Sam Steel blocked his shot and chased down the bouncing puck. Scheifele skated after him as the seconds ticked away, diving to try to stop Steel's breakaway, ultimately pulling down. The referees had kept their whistles to themselves during so many other altercations in Game 6 but could not let Scheifele's trip go uncalled.
The Jets killed the first 15 seconds of Scheifele's penalty to end the third period and all but 13 seconds of it in overtime. The Jets could have lost in any other way with any other player in the box but it seemed particularly cruel that it was Scheifele — after such a good game, so soon after losing his dad.
He'd given everything he could.
'I'm so proud of him and his dad would be so proud of him. He wanted to win so bad,' coach Scott Arniel said. 'The circumstances (were) so, so tough … His dad and his family would be very proud of him.'
And isn't that what so many of us want in life? The opportunity to do one thing — big or small, publicly or privately, on the ice or off of it — that makes our loved ones proud. Scheifele was dealt a brutal moment on Saturday. He met it with courage and heart on hockey's biggest stage. With the support of his teammates and his family, he may continue to meet it with courage and heart. What more of an emotional response could there be than that?
Scott Arniel speaks moments after the Jets' season comes to an end pic.twitter.com/oO64HhS8O8
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 18, 2025
When Scheifele first arrived at the visitors' dressing room, he was surrounded by teammates, too. The days' loss was evident in his sullen expression, but his presence indicated his desire to play before Arniel confirmed it.
'As he said, that'd be the wishes of his dad: He would have wanted him to play,' Arniel said.
The Jets' cultural growth between missing the playoffs in 2022 and showing up for one another so poignantly after Game 6 deserves a moment.
Three years ago, Jets' players called each other out for not playing for one another. Two years ago, former coach Rick Bowness accused his team of having 'no pushback' as they played to a lackluster effort against Vegas. Last year, the effort was better but the Jets were clearly outclassed by Colorado. Those issues aren't holding Winnipeg back anymore.
Advertisement
While they weren't able to come all the way back from 3-1 down, the Jets showed resilience throughout these playoffs.
Winnipeg won Game 7 against St. Louis in historic fashion and fought off elimination against Dallas in Game 5 on Thursday. It overcame injuries to Scheifele, Gabriel Vilardi, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg rallied around Scheifele during his personal tragedy, took Game 6 against Dallas to overtime, and outscored Dallas 14-13 in Round 2. Then, when Harley scored the goal that won the series for Dallas, the Jets had the presence of mind to go straight to Scheifele for support.
'I can't stress enough how proud I am of our group,' Arniel said. 'When things are hard and things are tough, especially this year, we didn't cower away from it. We faced it head on.'
Game 6 against Dallas gave Jets fans the opportunity to see Winnipeg's players show great care for each other in a public setting. Arniel shed some light on Winnipeg's leadership group behind the scenes; it really does seem that the Jets' culture is in a better place.
'I've seen it build over the last couple of years,' Arniel said. 'It starts in our room with our veterans, our leaders, Low, Scheif, JMo some of those guys and obviously other veterans who have been here for a while: Helly, P (Pionk), those guys. They do a fantastic job in our room, certainly how they welcome (people) in but also recognize there's a way we look after each other, how we care for each other, both on and off the ice.'
These playoffs felt like growth. It is easier to believe that this core has the pieces to succeed because the Jets backed up their refreshing earnestness in last year's exit interviews with a high-quality season from start to finish.
But a return to this season's quality of play will not be easy.
Winnipeg's roster would ideally be supplemented by even more forward quality and another defender who can clear Connor Hellebuyck's sightlines. Pressing roster concerns include Nikolaj Ehlers' free agent status, plus the need to extend restricted free agents Gabriel Vilardi and Dylan Samberg. Mason Appleton and Brandon Tanev are also pending UFAs; Morgan Barron and Rasmus Kupari are Winnipeg's other RFAs.
For the moment, the pressing concern is the Jets' emotional loss.
The hockey world loves you, 55 💙 pic.twitter.com/5dmtIK4vRD
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 18, 2025
Lowry called it 'heartbreaking.'
'We felt like we had a great regular season. We felt like we had a team that could go on a run,' Lowry said. 'For it to end the way it did and everything else surrounding the day, it's just a lot of emotion. It's tough to put into words what Mark went through today. Gets a huge goal for us, plays a heck of a game, and it ends the way it does.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
10 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Heading into US Open, McIlroy still looking for motivation after historic Masters win
OAKMONT, Pa. — Ever since Rory McIlroy checked the biggest box off his impressive golf to-do list, all he wanted was to enjoy it. Very quickly, he has discovered how harsh this game can be with his foot off the gas. Heading into the U.S. Open this week, McIlroy has been disabused of any notion that life once he completed the career Grand Slam with that win at the Masters in April would be smooth sailing. 'I think it's trying to have a little bit of amnesia and forget about what happened,' McIlroy said Tuesday when asked about the difficulties he has faced — on the golf course, at least — since donning the green jacket. 'Then, just trying to find the motivation to go back out there and work as hard as I've been working.' That edge has been tough to rediscover, buried somewhere beneath the satisfaction of finally conquering Augusta National to become only the sixth player to win all four majors in his career. He has celebrated by taking more trips, playing more tennis, hanging out at home and 'basically saying 'no' to every request that comes in.' His forays back to his day job — rough. McIlroy arrived at the PGA Championship a month after the Masters only to learn that the driver he'd been using for more than a year had been deemed nonconforming in a routine test. He hit only 46.4% of the fairways that week, tying him for 68th out of 74 players in that statistic who played four rounds. Those struggles with the new driver made him a nonfactor and he finished tied for 47th. 'It wasn't a big deal for Scottie, so it shouldn't have been a big deal for me,' McIlroy said, noting Scottie Scheffler received the same news about his own driver that week but went on to win the tournament . That the normally closely held news of McIlroy's illegal driver leaked to the media and Scheffler's did not annoyed McIlroy , and he said last week that was why he didn't speak to the media after all four rounds at Quail Hollow. That issue appears to be behind him. The driver? He says he's figured it out — 'I mean, come out and watch me hit balls, and you'll see,' he said — which means the answer must have come during his weekend off after rounds of 71-78 at the Canadian Open last week left him far short of making the cut. The 78 matched the second-worst score he's ever shot in a PGA Tour event. The next test starts Thursday at a brutal, brutish Oakmont course that McIlroy said might be playing easier than the last time he was here. No, he wasn't talking about 2016, when he missed the first of three straight U.S. Open cuts, but rather, last Monday, when he needed to go birdie-birdie down the finish to shoot 81 in a practice round. 'It didn't feel like I played that bad,' McIlroy said. 'It's much more benign right now than it was that Monday. They had the pins in dicey locations, and greens were running at 15 1/2 (compared to an estimated 14 1/2 for the tournament). It was nearly impossible. But yeah, this morning, it was a little softer.' Speaking of soft courses, McIlroy said he bristled at the reputation that began developing after his first major title, in 2011, when he demolished a rain-dampened Congressional with a U.S. Open-record score of 268 that still stands. His other majors — at Valhalla, Kiawah and Royal Liverpool — were also on soft courses. All that, plus his inability to capture the Masters, led critics to label him a player who couldn't conquer firm and fast. 'I didn't like that reputation because I felt like I was better than that reputation, so that's ego driven in some way,' McIlroy said. He tailored his game to handle the toughest conditions the majors can offer. He has runner-up finishes at the last two U.S. Opens as proof that project worked. But golf always presents new challenges. These days, McIlroy's is whether he can find that kind of fire — this week, next month, next year or beyond — now that he had made it over his biggest hump at the Masters. He served up one clue of where his head is when asked what his plan for the next five years might be. 'I don't have one. I have no idea,' he said. 'I'm sort of just taking it tournament by tournament at this point.' ___ AP golf:
New York Times
12 minutes ago
- New York Times
49ers' Trent Williams on his future: ‘Not going to retire with something left in the tank'
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Trent Williams has seen it all as he gets ready for his 16th NFL season, but he is admittedly new to the whole voluntary organized team activity thing he's participated in this offseason. The San Francisco 49ers' left tackle has been at team headquarters for a couple of weeks now, including Tuesday's start of the team's two-day mandatory minicamp. While he said he doesn't regret missing every non-mandatory session the past 10 years, he is very excited to have been around more this offseason. Advertisement 'You wouldn't think that this is a team that went 6-11 last year,' Williams said Tuesday. 'The confidence, the way the kids are flying around. … The new draft class to me looks like it has several steals, several great picks that are going to contribute. 'I was really pleased to see how the confidence and how the atmosphere is coming back and kind of being around the guys for the first time.' Wednesday's session is the last practice before the team parts ways until training camp in six weeks. Williams, who turns 37 next month, had mentioned last year that he would like to play until he is 40 years old, and pooh-poohed any talk of retirement. 'I didn't give it a lot of thought (this offseason), honestly,' Williams said. 'I just feel like I do myself and my teammates a disservice if I'm looking towards the end. I'm paid and people count on me to be here now and we've got goals and aspirations as a team. I just don't think putting brain power towards that helps us get to where we want to go. 'You know, when it happens, it happens. I feel like I'll know. One day I should know when it's getting (to be) that time and then I'll do the responsible thing and let them know early enough so that they can make the adjustments needed … (but) I'm definitely not going to retire with something left in the tank.' Williams said his ankle injury, which caused him to miss seven games last season, was completely healed by February. And 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said while he was thrilled Williams came to work early this year, the team will manage his workload. 'With age and the wear and tear and stuff, we just try to keep (his) legs fresher and stuff,' Shanahan said. 'I'll be shocked if we put him out there (Wednesday). He'll be good to go for (training) camp. … He's healthy and right where he needs to be.' Advertisement And he has always been a hard worker, even when he was training on his own in the offseason and not always at the facility. A player has to work year-round to be able to earn playing in 188 career games. 'I love Trent being around so people can see how much he does care about football, how much he does work at football,' Shanahan said. 'It's cool at his age and where he is at in his career for people to still see what he has to do to get ready. He has to do it for himself more than anything, but anytime you have the kind of credibility that someone like Trent has earned, anytime someone gets to watch him do that and watch what he puts into it will always help other people.' And it might help him earn another redo on his contract. While Williams' deal runs through 2026, only this next season is guaranteed at $21.1 million. Williams said that 'doesn't concern' him. 'I'm taking everything one year at a time,' Williams said. 'I feel like if my play warrants a new year or two on a deal or whatever, then I'm here for it. If not, then you know it'd be time to sail on into the sunset.' Williams did have to wave goodbye to some of his favorite teammates this offseason, as players like Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Aaron Banks and Charvarius Ward, among others, left for new teams, while Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd were cut and Deebo Samuel and Jordan Mason were traded. 'It's always tough,' Williams said, 'but it's my 16th year, so I understand how the business goes. Those guys are family, so you wanna see the best thing happen to them that puts them in the best situation. All of those guys, I am really, really happy for them. I think that they're really blessed. Like (Aaron) Banks getting compensated, Jaylon Moore getting compensated. It's a blessing that doesn't come often in this league. Advertisement 'I think Deebo found a home that he is going to flourish in.' Williams said he will miss those guys in the locker room and on the field, but is excited about one newcomer, former Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Bryce Huff. 'He's gonna bring that speed demon off the edge, that guy that's gonna require a running back or a chip (blocker) opposite of Nick (Bosa),' Williams said. 'He adds that Dee Ford effect that they had in 2019 that took them to the Super Bowl. One of the reasons we had a really, really good defense for those couple years is having that guy who can actually make that quarterback step up by getting a good jump off the ball and bending the edge.' Williams also was happy to shake hands with the new Brock Purdy after the quarterback signed his new $265 million contract. 'He's one of the richest people I've ever met in person,' Williams, smiling, said. 'For me, it's just super, super fulfilling just to watch a guy like Brock. You talk about a Cinderella story, and this is the epitome of that, from making a few hundred thousand a year to making 50 million a year is astronomical. … And it couldn't have happened to a better guy.' More importantly, Williams said Purdy is 'the' guy. 'He is the guy for this franchise,' Williams said. 'This is just the tip of the iceberg. He's gonna get another contract. He's going to win a lot of football games. He's that good of a player. So super, super happy to see that happen for him. I love him like a brother, you know, so I couldn't be any happier.'
Associated Press
13 minutes ago
- Associated Press
'A UFC fight': Tensions rise in Stanley Cup Final as the Panthers get the upper hand on the Oilers
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Things got chippy in the Stanley Cup Final late in Game 3 when the Florida Panthers were well on their way to blowing out the Edmonton Oilers. Brawls ensued, Darnell Nurse and Jonah Gadjovich dropped the gloves, and eight guys got sent to the showers early with misconduct penalties. 'When we get into garbage time, those things happen, and I don't mind when those things happen,' Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. 'It's what good teams do: fight your way out of the rink. I don't mind that in garbage time.' Long before garbage time, Florida took it to Edmonton, with the defending champions dictating their style of play and knocking their opponents off kilter to take a 2-1 series lead with a 6-1 laugher. If more of that continues in Game 4 on Thursday night, it's advantage Panthers because they thrive on making other teams feel uncomfortable. 'We played our game, our style, stuck up for each other when we needed to,' Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said. 'If you have to take a punch, take a punch. If you have to take a cross-check, take a cross-check — a spear, a slash, whatever the case is, you've got to take it.' It should not be surprising that tensions boiled over given the lopsided score in the 10th game in the Cup final between these two teams over the past year. The Oilers and Panthers have grown a healthy distaste for each other with all that familiarity. With that comes plenty of hits, shoves and jabs that lead to slashes, punches and gear strewn all over the ice. The 140 combined penalty minutes in Game 3 were the most in a final since Game 4 between Montreal and Calgary in 1986. 'The game's over with 11 minutes left,' Oilers star Leon Draisaitl said Tuesday after practice. 'Then all hell breaks loose. It's a UFC fight.' The penalties that mattered to the result came early. The Oilers were not shy about criticizing the officiating and the Panthers for allegedly influencing it. Goaltender Stuart Skinner said, 'Some guys are flaking and going down trying to cause penalties,' and Evander Kane questioned some of the calls. 'There seems to be a little bit more attention on our group,' said Kane, who took two minor penalties in the first period alone. 'They seem to get away with it more than we do. It's tough to find the line.' Toeing that line is what the Panthers do best, and it is a recipe that has them in the final for a third consecutive year under coach Paul Maurice, who credited Tkachuk for having 'a little bit more impact on the tenacity of the team than the guy who wears a suit behind the bench and never takes a shift.' Florida's roster is full of truculence with talent to match. Sam Bennett delivered a big, open-ice hit that led to his breakaway and playoff-leading 14th goal, and finishing checks on John Klingberg has hampered the veteran defenseman's play in the series compared to the first three rounds. 'That's part of their DNA, that's what they do,' Draisaitl said. 'It's an emotional time. It's two teams that want to win, two teams of doing it their own way, but I don't think anybody is going crazy here. They're good at what they do.' Maurice did not buy into the idea that Game 3 was the Panthers showing what they can do at their best. The opener went to overtime and Florida needed double OT to win Game 2. 'I think the first two games are indicative of what Game 4 is going to look like,' Maurice said. 'We're not going to look at (Game 3) and say, 'That's the way it should look if we play our game.'' The Oilers certainly look at it as the opposite, discombobulated and nothing resembling the group that had gone 12-2 since a couple of losses to open the first round. They've dropped two in a row for the first time since. 'We just got to play our game,' Nurse said. 'We got guys that can do all that kind of stuff. But is that our game? So I think we just got to stick to play the way that we play. We're such a good hockey team when we just play hockey, and we just got to do that.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
