The Winnipeg Jets have just received great injury news for Mark Scheifele, who sustained a lower body injury in the qualifying round of the 2020 postseason.
The hit was the talk of the town around the NHL on the first day of the past season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Mark Scheifele dumped the puck into Calgary’s zone and suffered a late hit courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk. This knocked the Winnipeg Jets assistant captain out for the foreseeable future and he did not return for the rest of the series.
This hit caused outrage from fans and coaches alike. Paul Maurice was extremely irate by the hit that injured one of the Jets star players.
The Jets were subsequently eliminated in game four and their Stanley Cup dream was crushed at the hands of one of their Canadian rivals. With all of that heart break, the Jets have gotten some great news regarding Scheifele’s injury.
Scheifele recently was interviewed by NHL.com and he said:
"“I’m 100 percent, no question, Skating every day. I don’t know anyone who skates more than I do. I love being on the ice. That’s my No. 1 thing. I get on the ice as much as I can.” (NHL)"
This is fantastic news for the Jets coaching staff and fans, knowing that Scheifele will be healthy for next season. Scheifele was drafted by the Jets as the seventh overall pick in the 2011 Entry Draft. He has played his whole professional career in Winnipeg.
Scheifele is coming off two great years statistically. In the 2018-2019 season, Scheifele had 38 goals and 46 assists in 82 games. In 2019-2020 Scheifele was on track for a similar point total, but due to the suspension of the NHL, Scheifele finished the season with 71 games played, 29 goals and 44 assists.
Those 2019-2020 stat totals put Scheifele in a tie for first on the team in points, with Kyle Connor, and he led the team in assists. Going into 2021, Scheifele has the opportunity to average a point per game for the fifth straight season and it will be fun to see if he can reach that total.
It will be great to see Mark Scheifele back healthy for the upcoming season and he can definitely be a catalyst and driving force for the Jets success in 2021.
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*