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Mark Scheifele is joining the ballet, and performing in the Nutcracker

Mark Scheifele

Winnipeg Jets’ Mark Scheifele celebrates after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darren Calabrese)

AP

Mark Scheifele is headed to the big stage.

Well, sort of.

Scheifele, who leads the Jets in scoring and sits tied for 14th in the league with 31 points, will join the Royal Winnipeg Ballet later this month for a walk-on role in the performance of the Nutcracker, the club announced.

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Scheifele is among 17 chosen Winnipeggers for this year’s Nutcracker walk-on roles. Walk-on roles are a long-standing Nutcracker tradition at the RWB, one that dates back for over a decade.

Walk-on roles are typically reserved for Act 1’s famous Party Scene; however, Scheifele will also take part in the opening scene’s shinny hockey game on a frozen pond.

Scheifele’s performance will take place Friday, Dec. 30th at 7:00 pm at Centennial Concert Hall.

Scheifele, 23, has blossomed into one of the Jets’ biggest stars over the last calendar year. He had a terrific ’15-16 campaign, finishing with 29 goals and 61 points, and parlayed that into a huge extension this summer -- an eight-year, $49 million contract with an average annual cap hit of $6.125 million.

This past fall, Scheifele also played on Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.