‘Really honoured to get that opportunity’

Mark Scheifele finally got another call from his country — even if it wasn’t the one that he was eagerly waiting for.

While the invitation from Team Canada general manager Brad Treliving to play at the upcoming IIHF men’s world hockey championship in Switzerland won’t take away the sting of missing out on the 2026 Olympics in Italy or the 4 Nations Face-Off the previous February, the chance to extend this disappointing season with the Winnipeg Jets was something he wasn’t about to pass up.

“Yeah, I am going… I’m really excited for it. Any chance you have the opportunity to go and compete for your country, you’ve got to take it with honour and I’m just excited to play more hockey,” Scheifele said on Friday, as the Jets worked their way through exit interviews. “I love this game, I love playing, I love competing. I want to go over there and win a gold medal and do that with some good friends, so I’m really excited for that opportunity.”

There’s been some speculation that the Jets centre might politely decline the opportunity, the thinking being that after being snubbed previously that he might prefer to get a start on his off-season training.

It’s important to remember that most of the management team is different and Scheifele would also realize that a strong showing at the tournament might actually boost his stock for the World Cup of Hockey in 2028.

There’s an expectation that San Jose Sharks centre Macklin Celebrini and Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard might accept an invitation as well and you can be sure that the opportunity to potentially play on a line with those young players would offer plenty of appeal.

Other players who have already committed include Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators, Mat Barzal of the New York Islanders, Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues and John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Scheifele will also be joined on Team Canada by Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo, who is excited about the prospect of being able to wash away the sour taste in his mouth after missing out on the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring.

“I’ve never done it before at any level. It’s always been a dream of mine to wear the Maple Leaf,” said DeMelo. “I’m really honoured to get that opportunity and I’m looking forward to a great experience and hopefully come home with a gold medal.

“It’s great to keep playing some hockey here. And also, high level hockey. I can’t speak for the rest of how our team is going to shape up or the other teams, but I’ve got to think that after the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics, there’s probably quite a buzz for guys to represent their countries internationally, for guys who were either snubbed or didn’t make the team that want to prove something.”

DeMelo’s defence partner Josh Morrissey probably would have joined him on the roster were it not for the injuries he suffered this season.

The only other member of the Jets that has committed to playing in the event is forward Nino Niederreiter, who will suit up for Switzerland.

There’s a possibility another player or two could be added during the coming days and weeks.

Scheifele, who turned 33 last month, just completed the most productive season of his NHL career, tallying 36 goals and 103 points in 82 games, which left him fifth in the league scoring derby — behind only Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon and Celebrini.

“He had an unbelievable year,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry. “He’s one of those guys who’s going to continually push himself to get better and to be rewarded with the season he had, it was an unbelievable milestone and I’m super happy for him. Obviously disappointed we didn’t get to see him represent Team Canada at the Olympics. I thought he did everything he could to show he deserved to be there.

“With that being said I thought he had a great year and was a great leader for us. I expect a similar year like this next year. He’s going to put in the work, he’s always striving for perfection, he’s always striving for new ways to improve his game. I don’t expect this summer to be any different.”

The 103 points for are the most accumulated in Jets 2.0 franchise history and Scheifele became just the fourth player to hit the century mark in a Jets uniform in the NHL, joining Teemu Selanne, Paul MacLean and mentor Dale Hawerchuk, who did it six times.

Scheifele is now 22 points behind Hawerchuk for most points in Jets history, a mark he should easily reach early next season when he should also hit 1,000 NHL games to earn a Silver Stick.

Scheifele is just the fourth player in NHL history to reach 100 points for the first time at the age of 33, joining Hall of Famers Johnny Bucyk, Gordie Howe, Ron Francis and Daniel Alfredsson.

“It’s impressive. Father Time is undefeated and you would think that he’d slow down but he just seems to be speeding up,” said DeMelo. “It just speaks to the dedication and the love of the game that he has. I’ve played with Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski, these guys that played forever and played at a high level and the biggest thing that stands out is their love for the game.

“Scheif is right up for them with the love of the game. You see him on a daily basis working on his craft. He’s such a student of the game and is trying to get better. One hundred points is an amazing accomplishment and to do it in Year 14 or so, it’s impressive. With the way he takes care of himself and the way he thinks the game, it wouldn’t surprise me if he hits it again in the coming years.”

Morrissey, who has trained regularly with Scheifele during their time together with the Jets and seen his commitment level first-hand, is curious to see what the No. 1 centre does for an encore.

“It is not just a few hours at the rink, the three-hour commitment at the arena or whatever it is, it is 24 hours for him,” said Morrissey. “He has been in pursuit of trying to improve and find way to get better and you would think that a lot of players who have had the success he has had in his career who have gotten complacent or reached a point where they are happy with where their game is at and that has never been the case for him.

“He is just getting better and better and aging like a fine wine and it is impressive. It should give all of us encouragement that you can continue to work on your game and get better into your 30s. He is doing that, so I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next year.”

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