DALLAS – On many days, the Stanley Cup Playoffs can feel like the most important thing in an athlete’s mind.
Today is not that day.
Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff announced on Saturday that Mark Scheifele’s father, Brad, passed away overnight.
“As an organization we’re doing everything we can to support him,” said Cheveldayoff. “From our family, just the deepest sympathies and condolences.”
Brad Scheifele was a fixture on the numerous guest trips the Jets have had over the last few seasons. Adam Lowry, who has grown up alongside Mark in the organization, could see a lot of resemblances between father and son.
“The energy he had was unmatched,” said Lowry. “His joy and excitement for life, he really passed that down to Mark. His positivity, his outlook on life, just a genuinely happy person. It’s a terrible loss. Our condolences go out to Mary Lou, Janelle, Kyle, the whole Scheifele family. It’s a terrible loss.”
The players in the room pride themselves on being a family, and at no time will that be more important than now.
“Having such a tight-knit room, a close bond with everyone, just the support. If he wants to open up about it, be there to listen, be there to take his mind off things,” said Lowry.
“It’s not an easy thing to navigate with obviously the magnitude of the day in terms of our playoff lives. But it’s important we’re there for him in whatever capacity he needs. He needs to know that everyone in that room is there to support him and be whatever he needs us to be.
“It’s such a big loss. That’s your mentor, that’s the person you looked up to growing up, that’s the person you want to be like.”
