Mark Stone was probably not expecting to get absolutely hammered in his first taste of game action since winning the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But that's exactly what happened after the superstar was on the wrong side of a gigantic hit from Los Angeles Kings forward Hayden Hodgson in preseason action on Wednesday night.
Hodgson caught Stone near the boards as he reached for a loose puck, driving through his opponent and sending him flying. Naturally, Stone's teammates were having none of it, and a full-scale skirmish erupted afterwards.
Hayden Hodgson drills Mark Stone along the end boards and a melee ensues.#GoKingsGo #VegasBorn #VGKvsLAK pic.twitter.com/MB2RNWxvjp
— LA Royalty (@LARoyalty1967) September 28, 2023
Stone was furious after taking the hit, and he didn't mince words when he spoke to reporters after the game.
“That's probably the last time I'll ever play against that guy,” Stone said. “Not really much of a player, so I'll leave it at that.”
While Stone is a Stanley Cup champion and established player in the league, Hodgson is a journeyman who has played only seven career NHL games for the Philadelphia Flyers. He has spent most of his career split between the American Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League, and was part of the June trade that sent Cal Petersen and Sean Walker to Pennsylvania.
Mark Stone is fresh off an electric postseason performance with Vegas, scoring 24 points in 22 games as the Knights won their first title.
As he remarked, there's a good chance Hayden Hodgson doesn't play another regular-season game in the league. But it will be intriguing to see if both players suit up when the Golden Knights and Kings meet for another preseason tilt on Oct. 7.
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