Scheifele update expected Thursday

JERSEY CITY, NJ - The Jets did not practice or hold a media availability on Wednesday, as it was a pre-scheduled CBA-mandated player off day. Head Coach Paul Maurice is expected to have an update on Mark Scheifele, who left Tuesday's win over the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury, following Thursday's morning skate.

Scheifele got crossed up and neutral zone and collided awkwardly with captain Blake Wheeler during first period action at Madison Square Garden, and while he did not miss a shift, he was in some discomfort and received plenty of attention from the Jets' medical staff in the immediate aftermath.
The 24-year-old stayed in the game and looked better until taking a hard body check from Rangers defenceman Marc Staal late in the second period. After consulting with the coaches and medical staff on the bench, he left the game with 3:58 left in the stanza.
Maurice did not have an update on the centre's condition following the game, but did confirm the injury is not related to the one that kept him out for 16 games earlier this season.
"We're hopeful," he said.

Asked whether or not there was any concern about leaving Scheifele in the game for so long after the initial impact, Maurice said he was "fine" after the hit and that the right decision was made as soon as there was any hint of a problem.
"It just stiffened up really quickly. We wouldn't put a player at risk under any circumstances. We monitor all our injuries very closely on the bench and as soon as he felt he was really starting to stiffen up, we got him out of there."
Scheifele has 13 points (6G, 7A) in 12 games since returining from the previous injury.
Stay tuned to WinnipegJets.com for the latest.