Jonathan Toews always remembers how excited and proud he felt when he was named to Canada’s 2010 Olympic team.
It’s a feeling the Winnipeg Jets forward wants teammate Mark Scheifele to experience later this month.
“I think he’s one of those guys that maybe hasn’t gotten his due and had the chance to represent Canada at that level,” Toews recently said.
“The best-on-best hasn’t happened in a long time, but he’s very deserving to be able to represent Canada and be at the Olympics.”
NHLers haven’t played in an Olympic Games since Canada won gold in Sochi in 2014, which was Toews’s second appearance in the elite competition.
Canada’s roster for the Games in Italy will be announced New Year’s Eve, with the men’s competition starting Feb. 11.
Scheifele is trying not to dwell on whether he’s selected.
“It’s going to pop into your mind every once in a while, but it’s a matter of you letting it stress you out or letting it motivate you,” he said.
The 32-year-old centre from Kitchener, Ont., entered Monday’s home game against the Ottawa Senators with 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 31 games this season.
Scheifele was left off the roster for last February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, which ended with a gold-medal victory for Canada over the United States.
He admitted the Olympic carrot dangling for NHLers added motivation heading into this season.
“I wanted to be on that team, but it’s not what I can control,” Scheifele said of the 4 Nations squad.
“That’s in the past, and all I can do is focus on the future and keep working hard at my game and trying to get wins for the Winnipeg Jets and playing my best.”
He’s feeling good about his game, despite the Jets being 15-15-1 before playing the Senators.
Scheifele was invited to Hockey Canada’s Olympic orientation camp in August.
Six players have already been named to Team Canada: Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart.
Winnipeg head coach Scott Arniel said Scheifele, who’s in his 13th full-time NHL season, should get the honour.
“I think he’s done everything possible to be on that team, and I think that he should be on that team,” Arniel said.
“I know I’m maybe a little biased, but at the end of the day, his play with the puck, all those different things, has been really good — really, really good.”
Scheifele’s responsibilities without the puck are solid, too.
“When you have four lines of great players like that, it’s more about sort of (penalty kill, power play), faceoffs, those type of things,” Arniel said of the Olympic squad.
“I think that when you have that type of thing, he can fit into that line and into those roles. I think he can do whatever’s needed.”
Toews was on a fourth line with Brenden Morrow, Mike Richards and a rotating Patrice Bergeron in 2010. Crosby scored the overtime gold-medal winning goal against the U.S., but Toews led Canada in scoring at the tournament with one goal and seven assists.
“We had kind of a grinding fourth line, where we were checking against other teams’ top lines,” said Toews, who at the time was in his third season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
“We were doing a good job so we kind of got some confidence from the coaching staff and got some more ice time and we were able to create some offence at the same time.”
He believes Scheifele has the skill set for any role.
“There’s no doubt that he’s one of the elite players in the league,” Toews said. “To play in one of those [top] six positions, I don’t see why he can’t do that.
“But if you’re in the bottom six, there’s maybe some more defensive responsibilities that come with it, and I think he’ll fit in great in those situations as well.”
Scheifele is willing to do whatever he’s asked.
“If I were to make the team, I’m ready to play any role,” he said. “We’re all great players. Whether you’re thrust in an offensive role, defensive role, whatever it is, you’ll do anything to be on that team and anything to win.”
The Jets have other Olympic hopefuls, including Calgary-born defenceman Josh Morrissey and Americans Kyle Connor and goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Morrissey played on Canada’s 4 Nations squad and is crossing his fingers he and Scheifele are skating together in Milan.
“I believe he’s got the ability to adapt. He’s got such a great hockey mind and a great skill set,” Morrissey said of Scheifele.
“He’s a big guy, he’s great on the wall, so all the different variables. You’ve seen him [penalty killing] this year and doing a really good job winning key faceoffs. It’s such a tough team to make, the hardest team that any of us will try out for.
“I just really hope we have the chance to be there together. It would be amazing.”
