Scheifele doesn't think Tkachuk hurt him on purpose

Mark Scheifele isn't holding any ill will toward Matthew Tkachuk after a hit from the agitator ended his season in the first period of the qualifying-round series between the Calgary Flames and the Winnipeg Jets.

Scheifele told TSN's Sara Orlesky the result of the hit was frustrating, but he doesn't believe Tkachuk raised his skate blade intentionally.

"In terms of the hit, I think the first thing is that he was a little out of control," Scheifele said. "He did reach out to me and talk to me about it. He was out of control and he tried to get a piece of me. Obviously I wish that didn't happen and I would have been playing in the rest of that series, but that's the way hockey is."

Scheifele played just 2:59 in Game 1 before he needed to be helped off the ice, and debate raged online as to whether Tkachuk targeted the Jets forward maliciously.

The Flames went on to win the best-of-five series in four games as Winnipeg's offense struggled without Scheifele and Patrik Laine, who was also injured in Game 1.

Scheifele collected 73 points in 71 regular-season games in 2019-20, his seventh full campaign with the Jets.