Mark Scheifele Bio
Mark Scheifele is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays centre and serves as an alternate captain for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. Selected seventh overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, he became the first draft pick in Jets history following the franchise’s relocation from Atlanta. He holds the Winnipeg Jets franchise record for both goals and points, and he is widely regarded as one of the top centres in the league.
Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 207 pounds, Scheifele uses his size and skill to anchor the Jets’ top-six forward group. He has represented Team Canada at both the junior and senior levels, winning an IIHF World Championship gold medal in 2016. A devout Christian, he is also active in his community, particularly through his work with KidSport Winnipeg.
Early Life and Background
Mark Scheifele was born on March 15, 1993, in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, to parents Brad and Mary Lou. He is the youngest of three siblings, and he grew up in a Christian household. He attended Grandview Baptist Kitchener every Sunday during his youth and has continued to identify as a devout Christian throughout his adult life.
His father, Brad, played gridiron football in high school, while his uncle, Kyle, helped lead the University of Guelph’s football team for four years. Scheifele attended Grand River Collegiate Institute for high school, where he competitively played volleyball, basketball, badminton, and track and field. He only began to specifically focus on ice hockey when he was 16 years old.
Path to Hockey
Scheifele grew up playing minor ice hockey in his hometown of Kitchener, Ontario, representing the Kitchener Jr. Rangers rep program in the Alliance Pavilion League. He originally played as a defenceman before being moved to a forward position. While playing minor hockey, he wore the number 55 because he wanted to be like his older brother Kyle.
After his minor midget season in 2008–09, Scheifele was drafted by the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit in the seventh round of the 2009 OHL Priority Selection. He failed to make their roster and was assigned to his hometown Kitchener Dutchmen Jr. B club for a year in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. He was offered NCAA scholarships and originally committed to Cornell, but he opted to forgo that commitment to play in the OHL.
Mark Scheifele Career
Early Career (2011–2013)
Following the 2009–10 season, Scheifele’s playing rights were traded by the Spirit to the Barrie Colts in exchange for goaltender Mavric Parks. Early in his rookie season with the Colts, he was awarded the OHL’s Central Division Academic Award for the month of October and ranked second on the team in scoring. He was subsequently invited to the 2010 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at the WFCU Centre.
He attended the Winnipeg Jets training camp prior to the 2011–12 season and signed an entry-level contract on October 3, 2011. He made his NHL debut on October 6, 2011, and scored his first career NHL goal on October 19, 2011, against James Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs. After playing in seven games, he was re-assigned to the OHL to continue his development. He recorded 79 points in 45 regular season games with the Colts and added 39 points in 19 OHL playoff games.
NHL Breakthrough (2013–2017)
For the 2013–14 season, Scheifele played in all 60 of Winnipeg’s regular season games up to the NHL break for the 2014 Winter Olympics, cementing his role as a top-six forward. A knee injury on March 4, 2014, forced him to miss the remainder of the regular season. He recovered during the offseason and played in all 82 games during the 2014–15 season, recording 49 points in 81 games.
During the 2015–16 season, Scheifele surpassed the 20-goal mark for the first time in his professional career and scored his first NHL hat-trick on March 5, 2016, against the Montreal Canadiens. He finished the regular season with a career high 61 points in 71 games. After the season, he signed an eight-year, $49 million contract to remain with the Winnipeg Jets, and was named an alternate captain for the 2016–17 season. He led the Jets in scoring and finished seventh in the league with 82 points in 79 games.
Winnipeg Jets Era (2017–Present)
During the 2017–18 season, Scheifele recorded 60 points in 60 games despite missing 22 games due to injuries. In the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, he set a new NHL record for most road goals in a postseason, recording 11 of his 14 goals on the road by Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. He set new career highs in goals, assists, and points during the 2018–19 season, and was selected for his first NHL All-Star Game.
Scheifele recorded his 500th career NHL point on May 6, 2021, and his 400th NHL point in late 2019. On October 18, 2025, he scored a power play goal for his 813th career NHL point, becoming the all-time points leader for the Winnipeg Jets franchise. He finished the 2024–25 season with 103 points, becoming the first player in modern Jets’ history to score 100 points in a season since the team’s relocation from Atlanta. Prior to the 2023–24 season, he signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension that runs through 2030.
Driving Style and Strengths
Prior to being drafted into the NHL, Scheifele described himself as a hard-working, two-way, play-making centre. While he has been criticized at times for his lack of defensive acumen, he has earned praise from teammates and opponents, including former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, who called him one of the best centres in the league. He is known for his faceoff skill, scoring touch, and ability to drive play on the top line.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature achievements, Scheifele set an NHL record for most road goals in a single postseason during the 2018 playoffs, surpassing marks held by Joe Mullen and Sidney Crosby. He has recorded multiple career hat-tricks, reaching seven by the end of the 2022–23 season, and he surpassed Ilya Kovalchuk for the most overtime goals in Jets/Thrashers history. In 2020, he donated $100,000 to Winnipeg Harvest Inc. to assist members of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mark Scheifele Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Mark Scheifele was born to parents Brad and Mary Lou and is the youngest of three siblings. His brother, Kyle, helped lead the football team at the University of Guelph, and as a young player, Mark wore jersey number 55 in tribute to him. He has continued to wear number 55 throughout his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets.
Scheifele is married to equestrian Britt Scheifele. He is a practising Christian and has gathered with teammates Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey, and formerly Tucker Poolman to pray and talk. He is a Sport Ambassador for KidSport Winnipeg, a charity that aims to remove the financial barriers to playing sports, and he runs an annual hockey camp on behalf of the organization. He also owns two pet goats named Tiger Woods and Tom Brady.
2025 Season Performance
Mark Scheifele’s 2025 campaign stands as a milestone year in his career. On October 18, 2025, he scored a power play goal against the Nashville Predators for his 813th career NHL point, making him the all-time points leader for the Winnipeg Jets franchise. He continued to add to that total throughout the year, breaking his previous career high in assists and recording the 900th point of his career on April 6 against the Seattle Kraken.
He finished the season with 103 points, becoming the first player in modern Jets’ history to score 100 points in a season since the team’s relocation from Atlanta. The night before game 6 of a 2025 second-round matchup against the Dallas Stars, Scheifele’s father died unexpectedly, prompting an outpouring of support from the hockey community. Donations of $55, his jersey number, were made in his father’s memory to charities supported by Scheifele, including KidSport Canada and the True North Youth Foundation.
