Playing for his father, Jets' Scheifele scores in must-win Game 6

Mark Scheifele said he was playing for his father in Game 6, and his goal was likely for him, too.

Scheifele lost his father, Brad, unexpectedly overnight.

His second-period goal opened the scoring for the Jets on Saturday in a must-win game to avoid elimination in their second-round series with the Dallas Stars.

Asked pre-game whether playing was a difficult decision for Mark Scheifele following the tragic news, Jets head coach Scott Arniel said it wasn’t.

“That’s the one thing he said right away — that he wanted to play, that it would’ve been his dad’s wish,” Arniel said. “Obviously, with his teammates caring for him, being behind him, that was something I wasn’t going to change his mind on. He was pretty adamant about playing for his dad tonight.”

The Jets were told the news ahead of their morning skate at American Airlines Center, with Scheifele staying back at the team's hotel.

"Spending my whole career here, numerous father-son trips, just the energy he had was unmatched," Jets captain Adam Lowry said about Scheifele's father. "Just his joy and excitement for life, and he really passed that down onto Mark. I think his positivity, his outlook on life, is that of a genuinely happy person. A terrible loss.

"Our condolences go out to Mary Lou, Janelle, Kyle, and the whole Scheifele family. It's a terrible loss, and it's tough to put into words how gutted we all feel for Mark and his family."

Scheifele’s goal marked his first on the road in the playoffs since 2019 and brought him to 49 career playoff points with the Jets, tying him for the franchise lead alongside teammate Kyle Connor and the late Dale Hawerchuk, who coached Scheifele during his time with the OHL’s Barrie Colts.

The 32-year-old entered Saturday’s matchup with four goals and six assists through 10 playoff games.

The goal captured the hearts of many on social media.