“Just courageous, what he did tonight”: Mark Scheifele’s heartbreaking night moves Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars in emotional playoff exit

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele provided a performance that will never be forgotten in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, just hours after getting word of the untimely passing of his father, Brad Scheifele. In a heart-wrenching 2-1 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars that eliminated the Jets, Mark Scheifele showed unprecedented strength—scoring the lone goal for the Jets and showing fiercely human moments in the post-game handshake beyond the sport. Despite the devastating circumstances, Mark Scheifele skated on the ice Saturday night in Dallas with the burden of personal loss on his shoulders. The 32-year-old veteran had received word earlier that morning that his dad had died in Ontario, but he opted to play, telling it's what his dad would have done. The Winnipeg Jets, Presidents' Trophy winners to start the series, were sent home after Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley scored a power-play goal in overtime. That power play was drawn when Mark Scheifele, desperate to stop a breakaway, took a trip on Dallas forward Sam Steel late in the third period. It was an ugly conclusion to a performance already seen as courageous by this player. Scheifele got the scoring started in the second period with his fifth playoff goal, fighting in front of the net to tip in a rebound off Kyle Connor. At 18:51 of ice time, Scheifele tallied nine hits and stayed active on both sides of the ice. But it was after the last whistle that the moment became greater than sport. On the classic post-series handshake line, Mark Scheifele hugged almost every Dallas Star player, beginning with team captain Jamie Benn—the same guy who punched him in Game 5 and was fined $5,000. “I just told him that I respected him as a competitor and as a hockey player,” Benn told us later. “You can grow to not like guys throughout a playoff series. But when it's all over, I told him I respect him as a player. I wanted to let him know that it took a lot of courage for him to play today in a tough situation. I'm not sure too many guys would have done that in his situation. So, I respected it. I know every guy in our room respected it, and our whole organization respected it.”Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry called it “an awful day” and said the team was united in trying to win the game for Scheifele. “It's tough to put into words what Mark went through today. (He scores) a huge goal for us, plays a heck of a game, and it ends the way it does. Just emotional, heavy. Just really proud of the group we had, the commitment, the no quit. We ran into a great Dallas team, but we couldn't find that extra one tonight, and that was the difference.” “Condolences to Mark Scheifele and his family. I consider myself a Kitchener guy (DeBoer coached the OHL Rangers in Scheifele's hometown); his family’s from Kitchener. Just courageous, what he did tonight. I’m sure his dad would have been really proud of him and what he did. Tough night for him and anybody in the hockey world that has been in a situation like that. So, hats off to him. Courageous young man." Stars head coach Peter DeBoer said. “You know, for him to play tonight and play the way he did is flat out one of the most courageous things I've ever seen,” Winnipeg defenseman Neal Pionk said. “So all the credit to him.”Also read: “A dirt bag”: Fans call for suspension as Jamie Benn fined for controversial cheap shot on Mark ScheifeleShort of reaching their championship goal, Winnipeg departs the playoffs with heads held high—guided by a player whose quiet courage reminded the world that hockey is a game of more than mere competition.