Winnipeg Jets superstar Mark Scheifele envisions a lengthy career for himself because of his meticulously crafted diet and an unrelenting love for the game.
"I want to play until I'm 40," Scheifele told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "That's my goal. There are so many opportunities now to innovate to get a little bit of an edge, and I'd love exploring that. Doing the right things now will affect me 10 years from now and will give me the longevity to play until I'm old."
Scheifele's mission is sounding similar to the goals made by 41-year-old New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady also cites his regimented diet as one of the reasons he feels several good years are still ahead for him.
"Tom Brady is the best in the world and only seems to be getting better with age," Scheifele said. "Why wouldn't I want to learn from him?"
Scheifele is 25 years old, and he's developed into one of the NHL's top producers. Over his last two seasons, he's registered 142 points in 139 games, cementing his status as one of the league's elite with 14 goals in 17 playoff games over the spring.
Scheifele has a long way to go and is aiming high with his goals. Entering the 2018-19 season, only two players in the NHL - Matt Cullen and Zdeno Chara - are 40-plus years old and still playing.
Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.