Mark Scheifele’s father died last night

Obviously, our condolences go out to Scheifele and his family. It’s very sad news, and we wish him the best in the circumstances.

That said, tonight’s game is a reality… and you have to wonder how this will affect the rest of the team. There’s a world in which the guys rally around Scheifele, a leader on the team and a respected veteran, and force a #7 game.

And that would be beautiful.

On the other hand, there’s also a world in which all this emotion hits the Jets too hard and the club falls apart. They’ve already worked extremely hard to force a #6 game, and the guys, who must be exhausted, must be affected by what’s happening today.

And the Stars are also playing to win.

The most important thing right now, though, is to wish Scheifele and his loved ones all the best. He would undoubtedly have preferred to concentrate on the game tonight, but he must instead be going through an extremely trying period of mourning.

Whether he’s there or not tonight, the Jets will certainly be playing for him, in any case.

Extension

The team’s coach, Scott Arniel, did not speak to the media this morning. Instead, he decided to return to the Jets’ hotel to be by Scheifele’s side, so it was team GM Kevin Cheveldayoff who broke the news to the media.

And all indications are that the news really took everyone at the Jets by surprise. It’s going to be a big day for the club, and let’s hope they can perform for Scheifele tonight.