Winnipeg Jets sign top 2011 Entry Draft pick Mark Scheifele to entry-level contract -NHL News Update
Winnipeg Jets waiting for all the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place before awarding a contract to their top 2011 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft pick, but signed 18-year-old, Mark Scheifele, eventually after his top-notch performance in the
preseason.
Scheifele signed on to a three-year, entry-level contract by Winnipeg Jets on Monday, October 10, making him eligible to play on the newly relocated franchise’s roster for the upcoming 2011-2012 regular season.
It certainly is a lifelong dream of many people to be playing in any professional sport when their 18 and for Scheifele, it has come true.
"I'm definitely very pumped", Scheifele said.
Throughout the preseason series, which ended on Friday, September 30, for Winnipeg facing off against Nashville Predators, Scheifele put up big numbers and proved that he is mature as a player for his age on the ice around veteran NHLers.
He played in five exhibition matchups with the team and scored an impressive eight points including four goals and four assists, which could have him playing on the Winnipeg line-up come this Sunday when Jets kick off their regular season against Montreal
Canadiens at home.
There is a catch. According to Winnipeg Jets general manager, Kevin Cheveldayoff, the seventh-overall draft pick will have to show consistent performance under the regular season pressure, which will be a break-it or make-it situation for him.
"There really are no expectations. He'll be in the lineup opening night and we'll take it day-by-day in those regards. There are no guarantees of anything. I met with him this morning and we're all on the same page in that we know it's an accomplishment
of where he's gotten to at this point and we're just going to evaluate on a daily basis, on a game by game basis", said Cheveldayoff.
The three-year contract will pay the Kitchener, Ontario, Canada native, $925,000 if he continues to play in the NHL annually with a cap hit of $1.625 million or $70,000 if Winnipeg decides to send him off to the minor leagues.