The Winnipeg Jets Center Mark Scheifele plays in game 6 in Dallas after his father's death in game 6

By Stephen Hawkins

Dallas (AP) -Winnipeg Jets Top Center Mark Scheifele started on Saturday evening with her must-win game 6 of her playoff series in the second round in Dallas, hours after his father's unexpected death.

Jets coach Scott Arniel said that the news of Brad Scheifeles overnight was difficult for the entire team. The team was informed of skate before the optional morning.

“In the name of the Winnipeg Jets family, our condolences to Mark and his family. It shook us all morning all the morning when we found out,” said Arniel before the game. “Mark will play tonight. As he said, that would be his father's wishes. He would have wanted him to play.”

Arniel said Jets knew that Scheifele's father had rooted the team and they were allowed to see him against St. Louis during the first round.

“He is with us and Mark really wants to play for him,” said Arniel.

Mark Scheifele was the last Jets player who left the ice after warming up of the prelude, and while singing “O Canada” he made at least part of singing “O Canada” and closed his eyes. He took the feeling of opening against Roope Hintz.

“The thing with Mr. Scheifele is that he is part of our family. He is part of the Jets family. He goes back to 2011 when Mark was moved in here,” said Arniel. “We have a lot of players who came around the time that they are still here that he was a large part of their lives with their family. So it is certainly devastating for Mark, but also for many people in this team.”

Kevin Cheveldayoff, General Manager of Winnipeg, said the organization was doing everything possible to support Scheifele.

“It's a terrible loss,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry. “It is difficult to put into words, how disappointed we all feel for Mark and his family.”

There was no immediate word about Brad Scheifele's death.

Winnipeg, the top seed in the Western Conference, went into the stars on Saturday evening, which need a victory so as not to exclude from the NHL playoffs and force a crucial game 7 in Winnipeg on Monday evening.

The 32-year-old Mark Schiefele had 10 points (four goals, six templates) when he played in 10 of the first 12 games of the jets in this post. He missed the games 6 and 7 of the first round against St. Louis with an unknown injury after achieving two big hits at the beginning of game 5 of this series.

In game 5 against the stars on Thursday evening, a 4-0 win from Winnipeg that expanded the series, Scheifele was padded by the stars during a late scrum by the stars Captain Jamie Benn. Benn received a punishment for misconduct and was punished by the NHL with a fine of $ 5,000, but avoided suspension.

Scheifele had 87 points in the 82 games of the regular season (39 goals and 48 templates).

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