DALLAS, TX - MAY 13: Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) and Winnipeg Jets left wing Alex Iafallo (9) get into a scrum during game 4 of round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Dallas Stars and the Winnipeg Jets on May 13, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Stars captain Jamie Benn dropped Jets’ Mark Scheifele with a punch in Game 5
  • The wild sequence resulted in multiple penalties, including a misconduct for Benn
  • Read below for video of the punch and what’s next for Benn and the Stars

Game 5 between the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets got downright nasty late, with Stars captain Jamie Benn unloading a punch to the face of Jets forward Mark Scheifele.

With the Jets up 3-0 in the third period, a scrum broke out near the benches. Benn clocked Scheifele with a left hook that sent both him and a linesman crashing to the ice.

Benn was slapped with a 10-minute misconduct, a two-minute roughing penalty, and a game misconduct, ending his night early.

Video:


Scheifele and Winnipeg’s Brandon Tanev also got tagged with penalties, leaving the Jets shorthanded somehow. Despite the chaos, Winnipeg hung on for a 4-0 victory, living to fight another day.

The punch, which got plenty of replay time on the Canada Life Centre Jumbotron, caused all kinds of discussion. Most fans saw it as a cheap shot, while some pointed to Scheifele’s skate moving toward Benn as a possible instigator.


The hit happened while a linesman was holding onto Scheifele, causing both the official and Scheifele to tumble down.

Benn now faces potential disciplinary action from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, which will surely review the incident.

This isn’t Benn’s first rodeo with playoff controversy, either. A prior cross-check on Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in 2023 might factor into the league’s decision.

The Stars head home for Game 6, still leading 3-2 in the series but possibly without their captain. Coach Peter DeBoer kept it brief when asked about the incident, saying, “We’re focused on Game 6.”

Jets coach Scott Arniel called it “an emotional moment” but praised his team’s composure.

One thing’s crystal clear: if the Stars want to avoid a Game 7 back in Winnipeg, they’ll need to keep their cool.