Jets' Mark Scheifele Suspended for Four Games as a Result of Charging

Mark Scheifele, center for the Winnipeg Jets has been suspended for the next four games due to an aggressive hit made for the Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans.

In the first game of the second-round playoff series, Scheifele charged at Evans with less than a minute left in the third period.

The hit that cost Mark Scheifele a four-game suspension. (David Lipnowski/Getty Images)

Evans brought the puck from behind the net and then scored into the empty net to make the score 5-3. As he was in a defenseless position, Scheifele came in with lots of momentum and high speeds to knock Evans out cold. He had to be stretchered off the ice and later it was announced that he received a concussion due to the hit.

After the hit, Scheifele was assessed with a five-minute major for charging and game misconduct. The NHL called Scheifele’s hit “a high, predatory hit” delivered with “excessive momentum gained from traveling a considerable distance”.

Scheifele had made the argument that his high speed in the hit was so he could make a defensive play and to prevent Evans from scoring.

It could also be argued that Evans had allowed himself to be vulnerable with the attempt of scoring and that Scheifele was taking the opportunity to avoid the Montreal forward from making any big plays.

It is clear to many that Sceifele does not agree with the decision of suspension for four games, but he has accepted it and won’t make an appeal on the decision. 

At the end of the day, it seems that Scheifele had no intention of purposely harming Evans. As he was given the opportunity to speak on his side of the story, he decided to focus on what was most important, which was the condition of Jake Evans. Scheifele states that “I think first and foremost before we can talk about anything, the number one thing is Jake Evans’ health”. He later goes on to mention how he has reached out to some of the players on Montreal’s team and is happy to hear that he is doing well. 

A concern that Scheifele recently has addressed is the backlash his family has received since the incident occurred. The online backlash his family has received has been labeled as “completely unacceptable” and “pretty gross” by the Jets Center during a press conference.

The Canadians ended up winning the second-round playoff series 4-0, which means that Scheifele will have to finish one more game from his suspension. In regards to the Jets in this round of the playoffs, it may be possible that Scheifele being suspended had influenced their performance.

With Scheifele being a huge asset to the Jets, it definitely has affected the team’s performance. He is the team’s leading scorer with a total of 21 goals and 42 assists in the 2021 season. It can easily be considered that the Jets center being suspended at least played a part in the team losing all four of the playoff games against the Canadians.