Mark Scheifele exited the penalty box and was immediately consoled by his Winnipeg Jets teammates.

The 32-year-old was doing the unthinkable of playing in a playoff game, several hours after his father, Brad, had passed away overnight on Friday. Scheifele played Game 6 against the Dallas Stars to honor his father, and even scored the game's first goal in the second period.

But the Stars tied the game five-and-a-half minutes later. And with 15 seconds left in the third period, Scheifele dived and tripped up Sam Steel, who was on a breakaway. A minute-and-a-half into overtime, Thomas Harley scored to advance Dallas to the Western Conference Finals.

An evening that was filled with a rollercoaster of emotions ended with heartbreak.

Immediately, Jets captain Adam Lowry went over to comfort Scheifele in the penalty box. The rest of the Jets followed, crowding the forward with hugs and words of love. Dallas did the same within the handshake line as the series ended.

Morgan Rielly played with Scheifele on Team Canada at the 2013 World Junior Championship. Over time, the Maple Leafs' defenseman got to know the Scheifele family, saying on Sunday that it's an unimaginable loss.

"All the credit in the world to him and his teammates and everyone in Winnipeg for pulling together," Rielly said. "Last night, and moving forward here, we'll be thinking about him and his family."

John Tavares had his fair share of battles against Scheifele over the years. He also spoke about the courage the Jets forward had to play in a massive game after losing his father.

"First and foremost, I think everyone in our locker room, and certainly in the hockey world, I think is mourning and feeling for him. Incredibly difficult news. Extremely sad, so feel for him, and thinking about him and his family and wish them the best," Tavares said Sunday morning.

"Pretty incredible effort, I thought he put forth last night in the way he competed and played, got a big goal for their team. But I can only imagine how difficult it is for him right now."

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube battled Scheifele and the Jets during the first round of the St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup run in 2019, plus countless other times. He said Scheifele's father's passing is a sad situation, and added that he feels for him and his entire family.

"My heart goes out to him and his family," Berube said. "And just the courage he showed to play that game, and played well. It's a terrible situation, and you feel for him. But I understand why he played. I really do. That's a tough day for everybody there. Tough day."

'He Knows What It Takes': How Craig Berube Has Shifted The Mindset One Year After Being Hired As Maple Leafs Coach Exactly one year ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Craig Berube as their head coach, hoping <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/we-ll-be-a-lot-better-maple-leafs-coach-craig-berube-urges-players-to-stop-overthinking-ahead-of-game-6-vs-panthers">his past playoff success would alter</a> their future postseason outcomes.

Ahead of Game 6 between the Jets and Stars, Dallas fans donated '$50 for 55' to the True North Foundation and KidSport Canada, each supported by Scheifele.

We at The Hockey News Toronto send our condolences to the entire Scheifele family.

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.