Some things are bigger than hockey, and Dallas Stars fans showed that ahead of a critical Game 6 Saturday night.
News that Jets forward Mark Scheifele’s father Brad passed away unexpectedly Friday night shook both the Stars and Jets organizations ahead of a possible series-clinching Game 6 at American Airlines Center. In honor of Brad’s memory, Stars fans on Reddit began encouraging one another to make $55 donations (for Scheifele’s No. 55) to various charities that the Jets forward supports.
Many fans donated to KidSport Canada, which supports children who need financial assistance for sports registration fees and equipment costs, and True North Youth Foundation, an interdependent foundation of the Jets’ ownership group that supports a range of activities and programs focused on Manitoba youth and their families.
Stars fans have a history of rallying behind opponents, even during the NHL’s high-stakes playoffs. During last year’s Western Conference finals, Stars’ DJ Jonathon “Shippy” Shipman apologized for ironically playing “La Bamba” at American Airlines Center, the Edmonton Oilers’ victory song in honor of late dressing room attendant Joey Moss and 6-year-old super fan Ben Stelter. In response, Stars fans donated over $20,000 to the Ben Stelter Foundation, which was created to honor the Oilers super fan who died of cancer in August 2022.
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Though the two teams won’t be friendly when they meet on the ice Saturday night, the fan base and the heartbreaking news reminded all involved that there are more important things than hockey, even on a day like Saturday.
On X/Twitter: @Lassimak
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Lia Assimakopoulos covers the Dallas Stars, SMU and college sports for The Dallas Morning News. She joined The News in June 2022 as a high school sports reporter and previously contributed to Sports Illustrated, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and NBC Sports. A native of Bethesda, Md., Lia graduated from Northwestern University in 2022.
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