Jets’ Scheifele leads by example in fight to make playoffs

WINNIPEG – Mark Scheifele is the Winnipeg Jets’ leading scorer, known for his elite offensive production rather than his toughness.

But when Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden took a run at linemate Kyle Connor late in the second period of Tuesday’s 4-1 victory at Canada Life Centre, Scheifele didn’t hesitate to respond.

The veteran centre dropped the gloves for his first fight of the season, and just the 10th of his NHL career. Scheifele also registered a pair of assists and sealed the two points against Vegas with a late empty-net goal, completing the fourth Gordie Howe hat trick of his career.

“Just the thing to do. That is my boy,” Scheifele said of sticking up for Connor. “It is a brotherhood in here and especially KC, like I said, that is my boy and I don’t like when he gets hit, plain and simple.”

The Jets are fighting for their playoff lives, and seeing their top offensive weapon put his body on the line provided a notable lift for a team that also snapped a five-game home losing streak to Vegas.

“Obviously, you don’t want a guy like Scheif fighting very often,” Jets forward Cole Perfetti said. “He’s obviously not afraid to jump in and that shows a lot about him and our team and our culture.”

Perfetti added: “We’re a family in here. No matter the score, the outcome, where we are in the standings, whatever it is, we’re going to be in this fight together. And I think when one of your best players does that, it really shows that.”

Scheifele, for his part, was quick to poke fun at his lack of fighting experience.

“I’m a terrible fighter. I think I did catch him with a left, so I don’t think anyone was expecting me to throw a left tonight,” said Scheifele, who was then asked if he has someone to give him tips on scrapping. “If someone did show me, they would have done a terrible job because I am not a very good fighter and I don’t have much technique at all.”

For Jets head coach Scott Arniel, the sequence of events represented exactly the type of collective buy-in required to navigate the final stretch run as the Jets continue to battle for a post-season berth.

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“Coming out of the Olympic break, we’ve given ourselves a chance here to stay in this race and the emotion is there — every shift matters,” Arniel said. “They’re feeling really good about what we have to do each night and when you do what we did tonight … the growth and positive upbeat builds on the bench and in the room.”

Arniel pointed out that securing a playoff berth requires contributions that often go beyond the score sheet, with players stepping outside their comfort zone when moments call for it.

“We knew that that’s what it was going to take,” Arniel said. “It’s going to be taking guys that are checkers to score goals, it was going to be goal scorers to check, it’s kind of emotional moments like that where it’s sticking up for each other. It takes all that stuff and that’s what gets you in.”

The victory improved Winnipeg’s record to 30-29-12, bringing the club to 72 points on the season. That’s five points back of the Nashville Predators (77 points), who occupy the second and final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton joined the Free Press newsroom in 2015, reporting on the sports and investigative beats until he left the Free Press in July 2026.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produced was reviewed by an editing team before it was posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.