WHEN ALL ROADS LEAD TO HOCKEY
Scheifele prepares for worlds, pumps local ball hockey, dreams of Olympics . . . yes, he’s a little obsessed
Winnipeg Jets star forward Mark Scheifele says he doesn’t like to sit still for too long, and after talking to him for a few minutes, you can see why.
Scheifele has had a tremendous 2016-17 season, playing with North America at the World Cup of Hockey, finishing seventh in the NHL in scoring in the regular season and, in the coming weeks, representing Canada at the world championship in Paris. He plans to get right back into training afterward, with personal coach Adam Oates and trainer Gary Roberts.
Scheifele’s spare moments are more like pauses, largely because he devotes whatever spare time he can to charities, including one of his boyhood loves — ball hockey. The 24-year-old Kitchener native was in town last week to promote Play On, the world’s biggest ball hockey tournament, coming to Toronto on May 6. The tournament, in its 14th year, is played in 14 cities across Canada, and draws 40,000 participants and 250,000 spectators.
How did you get involved in this tourney?
I actually played in it about five years ago with some buddies from junior, we put a team together. Obviously, growing up, we played lots of ball hockey, and (tournament organizers) asked me to become an ambassador for the program. It’s something a lot of people put by the wayside because, you’re always on the ice now. But it can’t be a job for you. You have to look at the fun in it, and ball hockey, that’s where you play it for the love of the game.
That first year you played, did you win?
No . . . We made it to the semifinals and we played against a team that definitely wanted it more than we did. We didn’t know what to expect, we just lined up for something fun to do on the weekend and hang out with a bunch of buddies . . . We came up against a team that worked hard, they had knee pads and they were sliding on the pavement blocking shots, and we were surprised. I missed half the game because I locked my keys in the car and I was trying to get CAA on the phone . . . I was on hold forever and missed half the game . . . we were down 6-1 and came back, but lost like 8-7 or something like that.
Did you have any other NHLers on that ball hockey team?
Well, we had Jake Patterson, who played for Saginaw; he was on the team. Clint Windsor played in Barrie with me; he played net, had pads on and taped them all up.
You have your own charity in Winnipeg, KidSport, that provides opportunities for underprivileged kids, and now this ball hockey tournament. Why not make more spare time for yourself?
The way I look at it, if you are in the place that I am and you have the opportunity to give back to your community and kids, you have to make an effort every chance you can. So, if it’s raising money or raising awareness, if you can help anyone in need, it’s something that people in my position cannot take for granted. If it’s something I can do, I will use my free time for things like this, like KidSport . . . I want to be a person who made a difference.
Did someone help you along the way in their spare time?
My parents (Brad and Mary Lou), they struggled to put me through hockey. I have an older brother (Kyle) and a sister (Janelle), we all played sports, and you know how expensive it is nowadays. My parents definitely spent all their savings for us to play hockey . . . they woke up early, they got a lot less sleep than they probably would have liked, but they put us through the things they did and I have to give them all the credit.
Do you still play ball hockey?
Definitely not as much as when I was younger. Me and the boys from the gym, it’s not like we’re grabbing our sticks and going out after a workout or whatever. I loved it as a kid, played it a lot, I played it up until I was 17 with my brother, and when there was a little snow on the driveway and I’d strap on the pads and it’d be like the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs . . . we’d change possessions, he’d try to score on me, we’d make up our own games.
Did you grow up a Leafs fan?
I grew up a Red Wings fan . . . my dad was a big Red Wings fan growing up too, so that kind of got taken over by the kids.”
Who was your favourite player?
Steve Yzerman.
You scored 30 goals this season, for the first time in your career — what was that like for you?
It’s cool to hit certain milestones but, from a team and individual standpoint, I want to continue to push. I know I can get better and our team can get better. You see how hard Sidney Crosby works, best player in the world, and he works on his game harder than anyone in the game . . . I won’t stop until I’m at the very top and if I’m becoming the best player I can be, it helps the team, and the younger guys see what I do, the work I put in, and it goes down the ranks.”
How quickly after the season do you get back to training?
I was on the ice on Tuesday with Adam Oates (preparing for the worlds). I’d had about a week off (after the end of the season). After worlds, I’ll probably take another week off, then get back at it again. It kind of depends on the body and how it’s feeling. But I’m not great at sitting still, so going to the beach and sitting there is good for me for about two days.
What do you want to work on this summer?
I think it’s the same as it always is, get a little stronger and faster. Definitely, spend more time on the ice . . . Oates has a pretty good plan for me, being the best player I can be and working on weaknesses, and continue to work on things I’m good at. Then in the gym, I work out with Gary Roberts and he’s good at helping us out, and catering to what our needs and wants are. But on the ice, its Adam Oates. He’s my guy. I live and breathe by him. He’s a smart guy. He’s done so much for my game, and he’s helped me with so many aspects of it — defence, offence, faceoffs, whatever — and he’s a great guy to go to and get advice and work out in the summer with.
How hard is it for you to watch playoff hockey?
It’s definitely pretty tough. You know, you get jealous of the guys out there. For me, I watch two games and it’s like, ‘Oatesy when can I get on the ice?’ It’s also fun, you have buddies, guys you want to see do well. Obviously, there’s nothing I can do to change (the Jets) season, so once it gets to a certain point, it’s as a fan and friend to guys and see them do well.
Who are you pulling for in the playoffs?
Probably Connor (McDavid) with Edmonton, I want to see them do well . . . Being from the Toronto area, you like watching (Maple Leafs) games to see how they’re going. It’s always fun when the Leafs make the playoffs. There’s always so much buzz.
What are your playoff predictions?
I’ll pick Pittsburgh out of the East, and I’ll pick . . . I thought about it so much, um, I’m gonna go with Nashville out of the West.
What’s your view on NHLers not participating in the next Olympics?
Obviously I was disappointed hearing the news. I think the whole league was upset to hear that news. Olympics are a tradition. I feel we’re misrepresenting our sport by not going. So you hope in back of your mind something gets done, but I’m not in the negotiations, I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope things change and that we’re able to get something done and we’re able to go.
What other sports do you play?
Golf. I have a fun with friends, that’s something I like to do in summers, but when it comes down to August, my game goes away and you get back on the ice. But I pretty much played everything; I played lacrosse at a high level for a couple of years, then went to hockey. In high school, there was basketball, track, badminton. Never played football, wish I played football, but my parents were like, you gotta play every sport, you gotta try it. Hockey wasn’t a main focus of mine until I was 16, 17 . . . I didn’t even know about the OHL draft until a quarter of the way through my minor midget season. I was just playing hockey because I loved it.
What indulgences do you allow for yourself?
I like cars. I don’t indulge much, but I just bought a Tesla . . . not the performance one, but the one just down from that one. I love cars for sure.
Name three people, dead or alive, you’d like to have dinner with.
Jesus, Steve Yzerman, and . . . I’ve heard some interesting things about Elon Musk (the founder of Space X and Tesla), he’d be an interesting guy to talk to. There’s a book about him and I want to read it.