MARK
AS TOLD TO SCOTT TAYLOR Photos by Jonathan Kozub / Winnipeg Jets , James Carey Lauder , Jeff Miller , hockeycanada . com , Laurie Guild / Kitchener Dutchmen , Bruce Fedyck
INTERVIEW
Love for Community
Every day from August to ( hopefully ) June , Winnipeg homeowner Mark Scheifele gets out of bed , grabs a coffee near his condo in Osborne Village and heads to Bell MTS Place to go to work for the local professional hockey team .
Born and raised in Kitchener , Ont ., he didn ’ t “ get serious about hockey ,” until he went off to play junior for Dale Hawerchuk and the OHL ’ s Barrie Colts . Tall and skinny back then , he was a surprise first round selection by the Jets . He was also the first selection ever made by Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff . The hockey mavens in Winnipeg wondered aloud what Chevy was doing when Sean Couturier , Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Brodin were still available .
But the skinny kid filled out and when he joined the Jets full-time in 2013 , he was ready to be an NHL star . During the 2016-17 season , he had 32 goals and 82 points in 79 games and was seventh in scoring in the NHL . Scheifele is now one of the finest hockey players in the world .
Of course , the world knows him . The almost-25-year-old , has represented Canada on the world stage no fewer than six times – once at the World U-18 Championship , twice at the World Junior Championship and three times at the World Senior Championship . He also played for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup .
Like so many members of the Jets , he ’ s fallen in love with his adopted hometown . More importantly , he gives back . He ’ s involved with Hockey Fights Cancer , he ’ s first in line to visit the Children ’ s Hospital and he ’ s a Sport Ambassador for KidSport Winnipeg .
Game On Magazine ’ s Scott Taylor sat down with Scheifele in February to talk about the development of his hockey career , his love of Winnipeg and his commitment to those in the community who have a little bit less than the rest of us .
MARK
SCHEIFELE
HEIGHT / 6 ’ 3
WEIGHT / 207 AGE / 25
BORN / MARCH 15 1993 POSITION / C SHOOTS RIGHT
PLAYOFF EDITION 2018 | GAME ON | 71