Mark Scheifele was born on March 15, 1993 in Kitchener, Ontario. A star for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League, Scheifele was selected seventh overall by the Winnipeg Jets at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Scheifele would begin the 2011-12 season with Jets. He would see action in seven game and record his first NHL goal before being returned to Barrie. Following the Colts playoff elimination in 2011, Scheifele would join the Jets' AHL affiliate, the St. John's IceCaps, for their playoff run. In his 10 professional games Scheifele would record a single assists.
Scheifele would rejoin the Barrie Colts for the 2012-13 where he continued to shine offensively in 45 games for the club he recorded 39 goals and 40 assists for 79 points. His OHL season was interrupted on two occasions however. The first was due to his participation in the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, in which he helped the Canadian squad capture a bronze medal. The second interruption was to take part in the Jets training camp, which began following the resolution of the NHL lockout. Scheifele would crack the lineup, suit for four games, but would ultimately return to the Barrie Colts to finish the year.
Scheifele had his first full season during the 2014-15 season where he played in all 82 games and scored 15 goals and 49 points. The following season, Scheifele would continue to show the offensive acumen that made him a top prospect. In 71 games for the Jets he recorded 29 goals and added 32 assists for 61 points.
On the international stage, Scheifele represented Canada numerous times, including a bronze medal-winning and a fourth place performance at the 2012 and 2013 World Junior Championships, and a gold medal victory at the 2016 World Championship.