The Vegas Golden Knights begin their first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series with the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday and received some great news ahead of Game 1. Captain Mark Stone, who was just activated off the LTIR, is expected to suit up, per Jesse Granger. He hasn't played since January 12th after undergoing back surgery, his second operation in the last year.
This is what Stone had to say about his return, via the team's Twitter:
“I don’t want to miss this. I want to play with these guys. I feel really good and really confident. I’m excited to get back.”
Stone was having a fantastic season before suffering the injury, scoring 17 times and tallying 21 assists in 43 games for a total of 38 points. He logged 19:23 minutes of ice time per contest. To be honest, it's honestly a miracle the 30-year-old is going to be back in the mix after such chronic back issues. He also gets to face his hometown team, having grown up in Winnipeg.
The Golden Knights acquired Mark Stone back in 2018-19 and with him on the roster, they've had no shortage of playoff success, reaching the conference finals twice. Even without the captain, Vegas was absolutely fantastic in the 2022-23 campaign, winning the Western Conference with a 51-22-9 record and 11 points in total. They're a clear-cut favorite to beat the Jets in the opening round and with Stone on the ice again, it helps their chances even more.
The puck drops at 6:30 PM PT on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in Sin City.
Follow Us
Subscribe