Mark Scheifele will have never played a hockey game like this one.
The Winnipeg Jets’ star center lost his father overnight before Saturday’s Game 6 vs. the Stars.
Brad died from unannounced causes.
Scheifele missed morning skate, but it was announced by Saturday late afternoon that he’d be taking the ice for Game 6.
It was what his dad would’ve wanted, the Jets leadership said.
And then, in the most touching moment of the NHL playoffs, Scheifele found himself in front of the net with the puck off a rebound in the second period.
There was an opening, and Scheifele didn’t miss.
In one moment that felt an awful lot like fate, Scheifele made it 1-0 Jets.
MARK SCHEIFELE SCORES. WHAT A MOMENT 🥹 pic.twitter.com/mfyzNGetUP
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 18, 2025
Scheifele had already scored 10 points in 10 playoff games this season. Even just for it being a must-win game, it was unlike all the others.
But for so many clear reasons, Scheifele had never tallied a point like this.
His father, Brad, was a frequent presence at Jets games.
It’s not a given he would’ve been in Dallas on Saturday night, though.
But in a way, there’s no doubt Brad was there. He was looking down as his son scored the biggest goal of his life.
Scheifele wanted to honor his father by being on the ice. He definitely did.
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