PERHAPS HOCKEY’S FINEST HOUR.

PERHAPS HOCKEY’S FINEST HOUR

May 17th, 2025: 2nd Round of the Western Conference Game 6 between the Dallas Stars and the Winnipeg Jets.  Jets’ center, Mark Scheifele, was playing through emotional pain and deep grief, having just lost a deeply loved father – that very day – to his guiding light.  A scoreless and critical NHL hockey game – so seemingly a routine sporting contest – would soon soar to the dizzying heights of the utmost poignancy, beauty, and relevance of human love on display for all to witness, experience, and share.

Scoreless throughout the first period, Mark opened the scoring and doubtless internally dedicated to his dad the game’s first goal at 5:28 of the second period.  Within a little over 5 minutes, the Dallas Stars’ Sam Steel scored the equalizer goal in what would become an almost unheard-of “penalty-free” NHL elimination playoff quarter-finals’ contest.

The patriotism and national pride of all the viewing  and attending Canadian and American fans was stoked by recent disappointingly divisive political economic policies and behaviour.  Locked in the unblemished NHL battle, and now in the dying seconds of regulation time, a sudden Dallas breakaway would very likely have won the game for the American home team.  Beaten, as the lone possible Winnipeg defender, what was Mark to do in that desperate moment?  Mark defensively reached out and  tripped the speeding Dallas attacker, earning a crushingly lonely and deeply introspective two minutes in the penalty box: clearly the longest unfulfilled two minute penalty of his notable hockey career.

That all of Mark’s fellow hockey players understood his loneliness and introspection in that final moment of the game became evident in what followed next.  As he emerged dejected and seemingly totally defeated, his teammates surrounded Mark with quiet dignity. Individually and collectively, they were consoling him, validating his courage, and showing their love for their teammate and assistant captain.  But there was more!  For Mark, the customary postgame handshake between combatants was replaced by the repeated gut-wrenching embraces and closely spoken words from each hulking, sweaty, and compassionate Dallas player after player, virtually to a man.  To those who witnessed, reflected, and understood, this truly was perhaps hockey’s finest hour.

JD