“As an organization we’re doing everything we can to support him and give his family our most sincere condolences,” Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets shared the update about Mark Scheifele’s personal loss. With the Jets and Dallas Stars battling it out in a series already packed with drama and intensity, this was a far more personal scene that unfolded behind the scenes. And Scheifele, despite his father’s unexpected loss, left a noticeable shift in the energy around the whole team.

While the spotlight was on Game 6 and its sky-high stakes, the quiet moments off the ice began speaking louder than the goals and penalties. Though the Jets lost 1-2 to the Stars in the recent game, the captain, Adam Lowry expressed his emotions dealing with the teammate’s loss and not about the one that gave the opponents a 4-2 lead in the playoff series! The BarDown account posted the post-match interview clip on X. “But just to let him know we’re there for him. It’s just an awful day for him,” said Lowry visibly fighting back tears. “You want to give him the strength; you want to get that kill so bad. We just couldn’t do it.”

It was a day of heartbreak in Winnipeg, both on and off the ice. Although Mark Scheifele scored the opening goal; the only goal for his team, it ended in heartbreak as it was Scheifele’s penalty that led to Dallas’ OT powerplay winner.

But it wasn’t only Lowry who stepped forward to offer his support publicly, but many across the league too who offered their deepest condolences to the Mark Scheifele and his family. And honestly? This was extra heartwarming, as it came from the rival camp.

Mark Scheifele won the heart of the opposition coach

Call it a heartfelt nod to a teammate or a great player who proved his true potential in Game 6; even the Star’s head coach couldn’t help but appreciate Scheifele’s genuine efforts for his team. And hey, Peter DeBoer wasn’t asked particularly in the post-match interview, but he himself addressed the matter before taking his questions and offered his prayers to the Scheifele family. “I’m a, I consider myself a Kitchener guy. He’s you know, his family’s from Kitchener,” DeBoer said, reminding everyone of the first connection he has with Mark and his family.

And then he delivered a powerful tribute that echoed through the hockey world. “I’m sure, you know, his dad would have been really proud of him and what he did. And, you know, and I’m sure his dad would have wanted him there. So, tough night for him and anybody in the hockey world, you know, that has been in a situation like that. So, hats off to him,” the head coach addressed while praising Scheifele not only for scoring the Jets’ lone goal but for doing so under such unimaginable emotional weight.

After all, it was a goal that turned out to be a big one for the Jets too. And DeBoer did shift his concern to Winnipeg after speaking of the player’s exceptional remark on ice, emphasizing the efforts of Berube and his staff in building such tough players. “They play as a team, great leadership. But, you know, I think, you know, they should win the Jack Adams running away, in my opinion, with the job they did this year,” he said. Now this is indeed a symbol of heart and personal fortitude that earned respect from both benches, right? And in DeBoer’s words, “So, you know, hats off to those guys too.”