Mark Scheifele was born on March 15, 1993, in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He is a centre who has spent his entire NHL playing career with the Winnipeg Jets. Listed as 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, Scheifele shoots right-handed. His early playing days started in the Kitchener minor hockey scene where he originally began as a defenseman but later became a forward. He later became a member of the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he spent three seasons.
First-Ever Pick in Winnipeg Jets 2.0 History
Selected seventh overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, Scheifele spent three seasons between the Barrie Colts of the OHL, St. Johns IceCaps of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL. He attended Jets training camp prior to the 2011-12 season, played in all of the Jets exhibition games and eventually signed his entry-level contract (ELC) on October 3, 2011.
Scheifele then made his NHL debut on October 6, 2011, where he suited up for seven NHL games which included his first career NHL goal on October 19, 2011. Scheifele found himself re-assigned to the OHL and rejoined the Barrie Colts to further his professional development.
Scheifele played four more games in 2012-13 before being re-assigned again to the Barrie Colts for more development. It wasn’t until the 2013-14 season that Scheifele would solidify himself as a top forward for the Jets. He played a full 82 games in 2014-15 but suffered his first injury in the 2015-16 season which he bounced back from. Scheifele posted career highs in goals (42) in 2022-23, assists (50) in 2016-17, and points (84) in 2018-19. To date, Scheifele has played 797 career NHL games where he has accumulated 717 points (297G, 420A) and 360 PIMs.
Scheifele’s First Extension in Winnipeg
On July 8th, 2016, the Winnipeg Jets announced that they’d re-signed restricted free agent (RFA) Mark Scheifele to an eight-year contract extension. The contract carried a cap hit and average annual value (AAV) of $6.125 million per season.
Scheifele was coming off a 61-point (29G, 32A) season in 2015-16 in a 71-game campaign. Scheifele would immediately live up to the contract expectations and exceed them consistently in each of the eight seasons. Scheifele would dawn the alternate captaincy crest beginning in 2016-17 and has never looked back. He’s been a core piece of the Winnipeg Jets ever since they drafted him.
Scheifele’s Second Extension in Winnipeg
On Monday, October 9, 2023, it seemed quieter for the Winnipeg Jets as they prepared for the 2023-24 season opener against the Calgary Flames just 48 hours later. The Canadian Thanksgiving Monday brought an unexpected twist, Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck signed identical contract extensions with the Winnipeg Jets.
Seven years, $8.5 million AAV, the Winnipeg Jets remain in win-now mode. Scheifele posted 72 points (25G, 47A), 57 PIMs and a plus-minus of plus-19 in the final year of his first extension. For nine consecutive seasons, Scheifele has scored 20 or more goals, he’s posted 30 goals three times and 40 goals just once.
