When the tagline of the Stanley Cup is “All it takes is everything”, the competition can get a bit cut-throat at times. But sportsmanship is what makes a game beautiful. And the Panthers head coach (HC), Paul Maurice, just showed the class worthy of a Champion. Sure, in a few hours, they play a season-defining game against the Maple Leafs. But the Panthers HC took the opportunity to pay his respects to Jets center Mark Scheifele, who had just lost his father.

Attending the press conference, Paul Maurice sent out a deep and heartfelt message to not only Mark Scheifele, but the whole Winnipeg Jets family during this trying time. “My deepest sympathies and condolences to Mark Scheifele, his family, the Winnipeg jet family,” the Panthers coach said in the Twitter clip shared by TV Rinkside Reporter, Katie Engleson, on May 18.

Continuing, the 58-year-old HC added, “The Scheifele family is very close.” It’s not just that Scheifele and Paul Maurice were together at the Jets for 7 years. Yes, they had a working relationship, and Maurice held his young center in quite high regard. In fact, back in September 2017, when Mark Scheifele was 24 years old, the now Panthers coach saw a leader in the Jets forward. “Mark Scheifele is going to be the captain of this hockey team at some point in his career for sure,” Maurice would say to Sportsnet.

And he didn’t stop there. Both hailing from Ontario, how Maurice characterized Scheifele was what was important. “It’s really refreshing in sport to see somebody that young, that mature, that grounded … You don’t have to ask him to get off the couch and take the garbage out; it’s out, it’s done, he’s washed your car and he’s ready to go to work.” From a young age, the Jets alternate captain has shown responsibility, a sense of duty, which was tested in the last few days. It may have been painful, but the Jets center didn’t clinch.

It makes it so much more valiant that Scheifele endured such a painful loss and still joined his Jets teammates to play in the crucial 6th game of the 2nd round series against the Dallas Stars. And Maurice acknowledged how much strength it takes to do that. “I think just as an observation from last night, the display of courage and focus for Mark to do what he did, and possibly an even greater display of the power of the family, of the Scheifele family, of the Winnipeg jet family, for him to play with his brothers.”

It was an emotional day for the whole Jets family. But what’s so poignant about all this is how they are all together, sharing one player’s grief as their own, letting him know, good times or bad, they are in it together. The Jets are a winner in life. Maurice ended with showing solidarity to the Jets unit as a whole: “Scott Arneil (HC of the Jets), Kevin Cheveldayoff (General Manager), Mark Chipman (Executive Chairman), and all the Winnipeg jet fans built a culture of family there that allowed that inspiration to happen. Again, a thank you to them for that display, and also our condolences to the family.”

Not just class from Paul Maurice, but also that the words would mean a lot to Scheifele. Especially that his former coach didn’t forget to acknowledge what’s most important, while a critical playoff Game 7 is looming.

The biggest game of the season so far for Mark Scheifele’s former coach

In a few hours, either the Panthers will remain in the 2025 Stanley Cup contention or the Maple Leafs. What makes this game so iconic this season is that they are amongst the best teams that had the most chance of winning the Stanley Cup. Yes, it would have been appropriate if they met in the Final or even the Conference. But fate has it that one of their journeys will come to an end.

Will Paul Maurice’s men fail to defend the Stanley Cup? Will it be the first time in 6 years that a team from Florida doesn’t play in the finals? Or will it be yet another heartbreak for the Maple Leafs. The 48-year wait for a Championship will roll on to 49, that is if Auston Matthews’ team fail to get the job done on home ice.

How loud can the Toronto fans be inside the Scotiabank Arena? Their season depends on it. One thing’s for sure. We are in for a blockbuster.