Scheifele shows no signs of slowing down while hitting milestone 800th game with Jets

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This article was published 13/10/2024 (358 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mark Scheifele was feeling particularly thankful this holiday long weekend.

The first-ever Winnipeg Jets 2.0 draft pick scored his 299th and 300th career goals on Friday night to pull a victory out of the jaws of defeat for his team against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Then, on Sunday, he celebrated his milestone 800th game with a “how did he do that” buzzer beater, then later set up linemate Kyle Connor for the overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild.

“It’s obviously quite special. I am very honoured and blessed to have played in this league for this long,” said Scheifele. “It’s a tremendous honour. I have been lucky and very thankful to Winnipeg for having me for this long. It’s very, very humbling.”

There are only two players who have scored at least 300 goals while wearing a Jets jersey of any era. Fittingly, those are Scheifele and his former junior coach and mentor, the late Dale Hawerchuk.

“I drive by his statue every day and think about him,” Scheifele said of the permanent monument that was erected in True North Square in 2022. “I know he’s up there watching down; I hope he’s proud.”

Scheifele is just three games into his new seven-year contract extension that pays him US$59.5 million, and the 31-year-old is off to his best start ever. Now in his 12th full season, and 14th overall, he’d never scored more than three goals in the first three games. He’s already up to four, along with two assists, which has him among the NHL scoring leaders.

“It seems like he’s getting better every year,” said Connor, who joked that he now refers to Scheifele as an “old guy.”

“The way he takes care of his body, it’s been a real privilege to have a front-row seat to watch him grow and the mentorship he’s had on everybody in this room, pushing to get better, striving. Healthy habits, eating, on the ice early at practice. He has a real brilliant mind in that way and he’s always curious and wants to get better. It’s been really fun to watch. He’s had a big impact on my career as well.”

Adam Lowry was in the same draft class as Scheifele. Against Minnesota, they joined forces for a wild goal that came off an offensive zone faceoff with just 2.9 seconds left in the first period and the Jets down 1-0. Lowry won the faceoff and drew it back to Scheifele, who ripped a wrist shot past Filip Gustavsson with 1.5 seconds left on the clock.

“I don’t think you can say enough good things about Mark and the career he’s had so far and the progress that he still continues to make… He’s a student of the game.”– Winnieg Jet captain Adam Lowry

“That’s the old one-two Winnipeg original,” said Lowry, the second-ever Jets 2.0 pick.

“I don’t think you can say enough good things about Mark and the career he’s had so far and the progress that he still continues to make. He’s working on his game. He’s such a good guy in this room and bringing guys together, helping guys work on their game. He’s a student of the game.”

Lowry vividly recalls a lot of people questioning Winnipeg’s decision to take Scheifele with the seventh-overall pick, especially with some flashier names still available including Sean Couturier who went one spot later to the Philadelphia Flyers.

“I think they made a great choice,” said Lowry. “To play 800 games with one organization is certainly an accomplishment. He’s our No. 1 centre. He’s our offensive driver. He’s a guy that we look to for a lot of leadership. A feather goes in the cap for the scouting staff and (GM Kevin Cheveldayoff) Chevy to draft him.”

Scheifele was asked what he remembers about his first game with the Jets, which came in the fall of 2011. The Jets hosted the Montreal Canadiens and lost 5-1 to raise the curtain on a new era of NHL hockey in Winnipeg.

“I remember Hal Gill sitting on me at the blue line,” Scheifele said of the former Habs defenceman. “Obviously, the crowd for warmup was insane. I didn’t do a whole lot. I was pretty brutal that game. The nerves were there. But, one thing I do remember was Hal Gill sitting on me, and I’ll always remember that.”

Scheifele would play just seven games that year before he was sent back to the Barrie Colts for more seasoning under Hawerchuk’s watch. The next year, he had just four games before making a final trip to junior. He’s been a staple ever since, eventually taking over the No. 1 centre position from Bryan Little and never looking back.

“To have your first ever draft pick have this story book career with one organization, it’s pretty rare. It’s remarkable and we’re really lucky to have him,” said Lowry.

Scheifele’s had a career-high 84 points in 2018-19 and scored a career-high 42 goals in the 2022-23 season. It’s extremely early, of course, but he’s off to a sensational start in this new campaign.

“He’s just playing at an elite level,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel. “There’s a lot of guys playing at a high level right now. That’s good, because it’s gotten us out of the gate here. We don’t know how the season is ever going to start, so as a head coach I’m happy the best players are up and running. It just helps us to have success.”

Scheifele, who received a warm, sustained ovation inside Canada Life Centre for his latest milestones during a television timeout Sunday, hopes the best is still to come.

“Having the fans we have in Winnipeg, this community is so gracious to us and so awesome,” he said. “To see them cheer like that really gives me the chills. It’s as huge honour and hopefully (there’s) many, many more.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg